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Laudin;^ of the Pil^'rims. 



'^ Tradition says it was the foot of Mary ChiltoD, a young 
maiden of the band, that first pressed " Forefather's Rock," as it 
is still named and honored by their descendants." — (P^igG 13.) 



SCHOOL HISTORY 



THE UNITED STATES. 



BY 



A. B.'BERARD. 



•» Westward the course of empire takes its ■way.*" 



s^/^. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
H, COW PERTH WAIT & CO. 

71855. 



Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by 
A. B. BERARD, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern 
District of Pennsylvania. 



STEREOTyPEr B? J. FAOAN. 



,1 

3^ 



PREFACE. 



The writer of this little volume has endeavored to select 
the leading facts of our nation's history, and present them 
in a manner suited to the youthful mind. There is nothing 
of fiction or fable, and great care has been taken to throw 
around actual events no other interest than such as springs 
from well-authenticated narrative. On the other hand, 
she has omitted many minor details, and aimed at lasting 
impressions without overtaxing the memory. If she has 
succeeded in tracing a distinct outline and promoting a 
love for the study, the filling up of that outline will readily 
follow, as the pupil advances to graver histories. An ex- 
perience of six years as an instructress in the department 
of history, has growingly confirmed the writer in this 
method of pursuing such studies with the young. 

The Colonial History is given in three divisions — the 
New England, the Middle, and the Southern States. The 
War of Independence is then briefly traced — the several 
Administrations noticed, and a cursory view of the entire 
history of the Western States added. A chapter on 

(v) 



VI PREFACE. 

" Progress," comparing early facts -VYitli present growth 
and prospects, closes the volume. 

The writer acknowledges the aid received from various 
standard works upon the subject. For facts, and occa- 
sionally for modes of expression, she has been especially 
indebted to Bancroft's " History of the United States," 
and to Lossing's "Field-Book of the Revolution;" and 
the generous permission given for the use she has made of 
these authorities, is respectfully and warmly appreciated. 

The present opportunity is also taken for tendering 
thanks to several experienced instructors, who have with 
patient kindness rendered essential service, by their valu- 
able advice, during the progress of the work. 

The illustrations are all original, and in every instance, 
have been prepared expressly for this volume, by Mr. 
S. Merrick, Jr. 

This little text-book is now commended to the public, 
and especially to teachers, in the hope that it may not be 
without its use in promoting, in the youth of our land, an 
ardent love for the deeply interesting history of their own 
country. 

West Point, Au":ust 1, 1855. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

Page 
Early settlements around Massachusetts Bay y 

CHAPTER II. 
Rhode Island, Connecticut, and union of the New England colonies 18 

CHAPTER III. 

King William's war — loss of Massachusetts' charter — Salem witchcraft 

and King William's war 29 

CHAPTER IV. 
Queen Anne's war and the old French war 39 

CHAPTER V. 
Middle States 50 

CHAPTER VI. 
Pennsylvania and Delaware 59 

CHAPTER VII. 
Southern States 72 

CHAPTER VllJ. 
Virginia 77 

CHAPTER IX. 
Virginia (continued) = 85 

(Tii) 



VIU CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER X. 

Page 
The Carolinas and Georgia 94 

CHAPTER XI. 
The Stamp Act — the ten years preceding the War of Independence 110 

CHAPTER XII. 

The War of Independence 118 

i 

CHAPTER XIII. 
The War of Independence (continued) 131 

CHAPTER XIV. 
The War of Independence (continued) 147 

CHAPTER XV. 
The War of Independence (concluded) 157 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Washington and the Constitution 170 

CHAPTER XVII. 
From Adams's administration to the peace of 1815 180 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
The Administrations succeeding Madison's 189 

CHAPTER XIX. 
The West 195 

CHAPTER XX. 
The West (continued) 207 

CHAPTER XXI. 
Progress 216 



HISTORY 

or 

THE UNITED STATES. 

CHAPTEK T. 

INTRODUCTORY. 
EARLY SETTLEMENTS AROUND MASSACHUSETTS BAY. 

The country whose history we are to study is called "The 
United States of America," now consisting of thirty-one States 
and eight Territories. 

This country is bounded on the north by the great Lakes 
and the British possessions, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico 
and Mexico, on the east by the Atlantic, and on the west by the 
Pacific Ocean. 

The early inhabitants of this country were the North Ame- 
rican Indians, but they as a people have long since passed away, 
although a remnant yet lingers in some of the States, and a 
number of small tribes are to be found in the Indian, and other 
Territories, and beyond the Rocky Mountains. The people whose 
history we would learn are the European colonists, who, in the 
providence of God, have been permitted to spread themselves over 
this broad land, and to make it the prosperous country in which 
it is our privilege to live. 

Of what does the United States consist? — Give the boundaries. — What of 
the early inhabitants ? — Of what people are you to learn ? 

(ix) 



10 COLONIAL HISTORY 

You all know the story of Christopher Columbus, who, under 
the patronage of the good Queen Isabella of Spain, discovered, in 
1492, the New World. You may have read, too, of the daring 
but cruel Cortez and Pizarro, who founded kingdoms in Mexico 
and Peru; but these stories belong to the History of America, 
and we shall begin only with those settlements founded within 
the present limits of the United States. 

The three oldest towns in our country are, St. Augustine, 
in Florida, founded in 1565 by the Spaniards ; Jamestown, in 
Virginia, in 1607, by the English ; and Plymouth, in Massachu- 
setts, in 1620, also by the English. 

At the time of these early settlements, the country was not 
divided into States as you now find it on your maps ; no English 
name was given to it, and it was occupied only by the forests 
and hunting-grounds, and scattered wigwam villages of the 
Indians. 

The first English name by which it was called was Virginia. 
This was in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, during which some 
vain attempts at settlement were made. Afterwards in the reign 
of King James, the country extending between North Carolina 
and Nova Scotia, was divided into two portions and named North 
and South Virginia. Later in the same reign, Captain John Smith 
made a map of the region of country, now known as the Eastern 
States, and presented it to Prince Charles, who named the country 
New England. 

We will learn in order something of the history of New Eng- 
land, the Middle States, and the Southern States, up to the time 
when all these colonies united in resisting England, at which 
period we shall carry on their history as one. 

Who discovered America, and when? — "What Spaniards founded kingdoms? 
— Name the three oldest towns in the United States ? — Describe the condition 
of the country at its early settlement. — What were the first English names 
given to it? — In what order are we to proceed? 



OF N E W ENG L AND. 11 



NEW ENGILAND. 

"The heavy night hung dark 
The hills and waters o'er, 
When a band of exiles moored their bark 
On the wild New England shore." — Hemans. 

The History of New England commences with the landing of 
the Pilgrim Fathers. 

The Pilgrim Fathers were Englishmen, belonging to a sect of 
Christians called Puritans. In the reign of the Roman Catholic 
Queen Mary of England, their ancestors had been driven to the 
Continent, where they had learned a more simple mode of wor- 
ship than that practised by the English Church. When, there- 
fore, on the accession of Queen Elizabeth they returned to their 
country, they refused to become members of the Church of 
England, or to submit to its usages. They would not use its Book 
of Common Prayer, nor wear the surplice. In those days, men 
had not learned '^as far as in them lieth to live peaceably with all 
men,'' and so the Puritans, as they were nicknamed, were per- 
secuted for their non-conformity, as it was called. 

They endured these persecutions of greater or less severity for 
about fifty years, and then, in 1608, a small congrega- -.p^Q 
tion of them fled to Holland. Here they remained twelve 
years, at the end of which time they resolved to go to America 
and form a settlement at the mouth of the Hudson river. They left 
Holland in a small vessel, called the " Speedwell,'' and sailed for 
England. Here they remained a fortnight, and then, taking leave 
of their friends, set sail for America. The " Speedwell" proving 
unseaworthy, they were obliged to put back : this vessel, with those 
of her company whose courage failed them, were dismissed, and 
the remainder crowded into the " May Flower." 

Repeat the motto. — Who were the Pilgrim Fathers? — Whence did they 
receive their mode of worship? — How were they treated on their return to 
England? — Whither did they flee? — What resolution did they form? — To 
what country did they first sail ? — What happened to the " Speedwell V 



12 COLONIAL HISTORY 

At last, on the 6tli September 1620, this frail bark, 
bearing her precious burden, lost sight of English ground. 
The number of the Pilgrims was one hundred and one. Among 
them were John Carver, their first Governor, Elder Brewster, their 
pastor for the time, Miles Standish, their military Captain, Wil- 
liam Bradford, Edward Winslow, and William White. There 
were women too on board. No doubt, during the three months 
that their little bark was tossed upon the ocean, the sound of 
prayer was daily, almost hourly, heard among them, and " He 
who ruleth the raging of the sea, heard their cry and helped 
them,^^ and because tney honored Him, He has honored them in 
making them the fo- efathers of a great and good people. 

While on ship-loard they drew up a body of laws which they 
resolved to obey, and chose John Carver as their Governor. This 
first American constitution was drawn up and signed on the lid of 
a chest, belonging to Elder Brewster. This chest of Norway pine 
is preserved in the Athenaeum at Hartford, and has another in- 
teresting association. It served in Elder Brewster's family as a 
table, and during the famine which followed when they were 
obliged to live solely upon clams, the good old man was wont, 
when asking a blessing, to thank G@d, " who had yet given them 
of the treasures hid in the sand.'' 

Owing to the ignorance of the Captain, the "May Flower'' 
was brought upon the barren coast of Massachusetts. The bitter 
months of November and December found this little vessel tossing 
upon the waters of Cape Cod Bay, instead of casting anchor, as the 
Pilgrims had hoped, in the milder latitude of the harbor of New 
York. 

Many interesting events occurred between the day of their first 
mooring and their final landing. One of these was the birth 
of Peregrine W^hite, the first English boy born in the Colony. 
Mr. W^hite died shortly after his son's birth, and his widow then 

How many left England, and when ? — Name some of the Pilgrims. — How 
did they acknowledge their dependence upon God ? — What did the passengers 
adopt ? — Relate the anecdote of Elder Brewster's chest. — What coast did the 
"May Flower" reach, and when? — Mention some events which occurred ou 
ship-board, in Cape Cod Bay. 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 13 

married Mr. Edward Winslow. She was thus the iirst English 
mother and bride in New England. 

Much of the time was spent in exploring the coast for a suitable 
landing place. During one of these excursions they were in great 
peril, having broken the rudder and mast of their little shallop. 
They reached a rocky island, but it cost them the whole of the 
following day, which was Saturday, to repair the boat. The Sab- 
bath drew on — they were fifteen leagues away from the " May 
Flower,^^ and they knew the hearts within her must be anxious 
for their safety, — eighteen inches of snow covered the ground, 
they had neither tent nor shelter, but "they remembered the 
Sabbath day to keep it holy.'^ In the deep snow they knelt, and 
the keen frosty air echoed their hymns of praise. On the follow- 
ing Monday, Plymouth Rock was discovered to be a suitable place 
for landing; the " May Flower" was brought round, and on 
Monday, the 21st of December, these sea-wearied Pilgrims stepped 
ashore. Tradition says it was the foot of Mary Chilton, a young 
maiden of the band, that first pressed "Forefather's Rock," as it 
is still named and honored by their descendants. 

Thus commenced, in faith and hope, this first New 
England Colony. It was named Plymouth from the last 
place parted from in England. Severe trials surrounded them in 
their new home. Disease and famine did their fearful work amona: 
them; Governor Carver, his wife and child, died during the 
winter, and by spring only forty-six of the one hundred passengers 
who came in the " May Flower," were living. 

But although exposed to these trials, they were mercifully pre- 
served from the murderous tomahawk of the Indian, a pestilence 
having the previous year carried off the more dangerous 
of these savage neighbors. The first Indian they saw, o 
met them with the cheering salutation, "Welcome Eng- \Q21 
lishmen ! Welcome Englishmen !" His name was Sa- 
moset : he came from what is now Maine, and had learned to speak 

Describe the adventures of an exploring party. — When, and where, did they 
land? — What did they name the place? — Describe their sufferings tlie first 
winter. — From what calamity were they preserved ? — Describe their first 
meeting witli Indians. 

2 



14 COLONIAL HISTORY 

English from the captain of a fishing vessel on the coast. He 
gave the information that Massasoit, the great Indian chief of that 
region, was approaching with sixty men. The Governor engaged 
Samoset as an interpreter, and by means of a few kindly presents, 
the Sachem's good will was secured, and a treaty made, which 
was faithfully kept for more than fifty years. Through Massasoit's 
influence, ninety less powerful chiefs were brought into treaty with 
the English; and the only hostile one, Canonicus, was awed when 
the Governor returned the arms and rattlesnake skin, which the 
savage chieftain had sent in token of defiance, stuffing the latter 
with powder and ball. 

During the ten years following the landing of the Pilgrims, 

various individuals and parties settled around the shores 

of Massachusetts Bay ; at Salem, at Charlestown, and at 

1630 Cambridge. It would be well to inform you by what 

means colonists were enabled to emigrate to this country. 

Merchants, residing chiefly in London and in the west of Eng- 
land, formed themselves into companies, and obtained from the 
King grants to settle particular '^ Plantations" in America, with 
certain rights and privileges of government, and commerce. These 
grants were called charters. The company furnished ships and 
sent out colonists, who were to cultivate the ground and procure 
fish and furs. The profits on these articles, it was expected, would 
repay the company in England for the expense of sending them 
out. Several members of the Massachusetts Bay company, gen- 
tlemen of family and fortune, agreed themselves to go out to New 
England, provided the charter should be carried to America, and 
the government not managed by a council of the company in 
England, as was usually the case. 

This privilege being granted, Mr. Winthrop, and many other 
distinguished men, embarked for New England. They sailed from 
the Isle of Wight on the 8th of April, 1630. After a somewhat 

What information did they gain from Samoset? — What did they obtain 
from Massasoit? — Name the settlements made between 1620-1630. — How 
were companies for jiurposes of emigration formed? — What were charters? — 
What did these companies expect of the colonists ? — What led Mr. Winthrop 
to come to New England ? 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 15 

boisterous voyage, their little fleet of five vessels anchored 
safely at Charlestown. Here they were kindly received, 
and began to build, intending to make it their permanent home. 
But this was not the design of God regarding them. They found 
but one spring of water and that so brackish, that disease carried 
off many of their number. 

The new Colony was threatened with destruction, when a de- 
liverer was raised up for them. Mr. William Blackstone, a kind, 
but eccentric old man, had built his solitary cottage on a penin- 
sula, on the south side of Charles river. The English called it 
Trimountain, but the Indians gave it the name of Shawmut, sig- 
nifying, in their language, "living fountains." To these healthful 
waters, were Governor Winthrop and his suffering Colony invited, 
by Mr. Blackstone, and gladly did they remove thither. 

They named their new settlement Boston, in honor of the Rev. 
Mr. Colton, a much-beloved pastor of Boston, England, who af- 
terwards, joined the Colonies, and was highly honored there. 

One of the first acts of the Colony, was to draw up a " Confes- 
sion of Faith," and enter into a church covenant : this was done 
with the utmost solemnity, after a day of fasting and prayer. Mr. 
Blackstone, who was an Episcopalian, was invited to join this 
church, but he replied very quaintly, " I came from England be- 
cause I did not like the Lord Bishops; but I cannot join with you 
because I would not be under the Lord Brethren.^' 

And now the little village of Boston grew rapidly. Industry, 
sobriety, and honesty, marked its character. The Governor him- 
self set a good example, by discouraging the drinking of toasts, 
and forbidding cards and gaming tables. A man was whipped 
for stealing a loaf of bread, and another for shooting fowl 
on Sunday. Carpenters and masons worked diligently 
at their trades, and stone houses began to rise. Vessels too were 
built to traflBc with other settlements on the coast; and one 

Describe his voyage. — Where and how were they received? — Why did they 
not remain at Charlestown ? — Whither were they invited ? — What name was 
given to their settlement ? — Into what did the colonists enter ? — Who was 
invited to join them, and how did he reply? — What of Boston at this time? 
— What of their trades and ship-building ? 



16 COLONIAL HISTORY 

launched on the 4th of July, 1631, was called " The Blessing of 
the Bay." Education was not neglected : in eight years after the 
landing of this Colony, Harvard College was founded, and named 
in honor of Mr. John Harvard, who, dying in 1638, left to this Insti- 
tution the sum of £800. In this College, the year of its founda- 
tion, a printing-press was set up by a man named Glover, but we 
hear little of the progress of this art during the first forty years 
of New England history 

The year after the Colony was established, Mrs. Grov. Winthrop 
joined her husband; and in the same vessel came out Mr. John 
Eliot, the first Missionary to the Indians. He settled at Roxbury, 
and here began his labors among the heathen, which were carried 
on for sixty years. He visited them in their wigwams, teaching 
them to read and to pray, and he translated the Bible into their 
language. A copy of this old book is still preserved, in Eliot's 
handwriting, but only the title, "Up Biblum God,'' signifying 
"The Book of God,'' can now be read. The language in which 
it is written has perished with the race. We may not read it, but 

" Hearts are in Heaven which understand it well." 

So successful were this good man's labors, that after his death 
the number of " praying Indians," as those who became Christians 
were called, amounted to five thousand. 

Between the years 1630 and 1636, we find the settlements be- 
longing to the Massachusetts Bay company, rapidly increasing. 
Persecution in England was sending many wise and able men to 
the Colonies. Among them came Sir Henry Vane, a 
' friend of the poet Milton. He so won the hearts of the 
people, that at one time they made him governor. But though 
an earnest and good man, he was not a very safe one, and becom- 
ing the supporter of the party of Mrs. Ann Hutchinson, he led 
himself and the Colonies into serious diflSculties. This Mrs. 
Hutchinson held many strange and unscriptural doctrines. She 

When was Harvard College founded? — What Missionary came to New 
Eno-land in 1631? — Where did he settle? — Describe his labors and success. 
— What drove many from England to the Colonies? — Who arrived in 1635? 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 17 

believed, for instance, that equally with " holy men of old/' she 
and her followers were favored with special divine revelations. 
This party, opposing the ministers and magistrates of the Colony, 
created great disturbances. At length, Sir Henry Yane returned 
to England, and Mrs. Hutchinson and her followers were banished 
from Massachusetts. 

The Puritans were too earnest in their faith to live in peace 
with those who differed from them. Not only were the followers 
of Mrs. Hutchinson persecuted and banished, but the Quakers 
and Baptists also were cruelly treated, four of the former being 
put to death on account of their opinions. 

We shall now leave, for a time, the Colonies of the Massachu- 
setts Bay company, which already numbered twenty set- 
tlements, and turn to other parts of New England. 

What doctrines did Mrs. Hutchinson teach? — What became of her and her 
followers? — Who were persecuted by the Puritans? — Number of settlements 
in 1636. 



Review Questions. — Describe the boundaries of the United States. — Who 
were its original inhabitants, and what has become of them? — Name the 
three oldest towns in the United States, and describe the condition of the 
country at the time of its discovery. 

■ Who were the Puritans ? — Relate the history of the Pilgrim Fathers to the 
time of their coming to America. — What is said of their voyage ? — Of their 
landing? — Of their interview with the Indians? 

Relate the settlement of Boston. — What of its prosperity and morality? — 
What of Eliot ? 

Relate what is said of Sir Henry Vane and Mrs. Hutchinson? — Who were 
persecuted in the Massachusetts Bay Colonies. 



2* 



IS 



COLONIAL HISTORY 



CHAPTER II. 

RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, AND UNION OF THE NEW 
ENGLAND COLONIES. 

"And can we deem it strange 
That from their planting such a branch should bloom 
As nations envy ?" 

SiGOURNEY. 

RHODE ISLAND. 

The history of Rhode Island is so nearly connected with that 
of Roger Williams, its founder, that a sketch of his interesting 
biography will be sufficient to introduce you to his Colony. 

Roger Williams was born in the year 1598, in Wales. He was 
educated at the University of Oxford, in England, but afterwards 
became a Puritan and a non-conformist. He possessed a pure, 
noble mind, and a heart filled with that charity which " suffereth 
long and is kind.'' He had thought long and seriously about the 
evils of intolerance, and had come to the conclusion that '^ the 
doctrine of persecution is most lamentably contrary to the doctrine 
of Christ Jesus," and determined very earnestly never to submit 
to those who practised it. With this determination, however, he 
united the grace of an overflowing charity towards all men. He 
hated persecution, but he loved his persecutors, and we shall 
presently see how he proved his sincerity, by returning good for 
evil. 

In the year 1631, when little more than thirty years of age, he 
came to Massachusetts, and was invited to Salem as a religious 
teacher. His listeners became warmly attached to him, but his 
enlarged views, so far beyond those of the age and Colony in 
which he lived, alarmed the Boston Puritans, and made him ene- 

Repeat the motto. — When, and where, was Roger Williams born, and where 
educated? — Describe his character. — How did he regard persecution? — 
When did he come to Massachusetts, and where did ho settle ? 



OFNEWENGLAND. 19 

niies. They were much shocked at his saying -that civil magis- 
trates were bound to protect the life and property of peaceful 
citizens, of whatever name or creed ; that it was their duty to re- 
strain crime, but not to control opinion. The number of those 
who opposed Roger Williams increased. Even his wife was for a 
time influenced by his enemies, and his home was made unhappy. 

At last, the sentence of banishment was pronounced. 
Williams hoped to remain until spring, but the prospect 
of losing him awakened all the aff"ection of his people, and the 
General Court, fearing his influence, commanded him to embark 
for England. Officers were sent to convey him to the vessel, but 
Roger Williams had fled from Salem. For fourteen weeks he 
was a wanderer in the wilderness, "sorely tost in a bitter 
season, not knowing what bread or bed did mean/' He 
found kind friends in the Indians, whose language he had learned, 
and to whom he was ever a patient missionary. Massasoit and 
the chief of the Narragansetts received him as their guest, and 
"thus," he says, "the ravens fed me in the wilderness.^' 

In the midst of all these persecutions, Roger Williams showed 
a kindly spirit towards his oppressors : he says, " I did ever from 
my soul honor and love them, even when their judgment led them 
to afflict me." He settled first at Seekonk, but this being within 
the limits of the Plymouth Colony, he was advised by Governor 
Winslow, to " steer his course to the Narragansett Bay," which 
was as yet unclaimed by any English patent. Regarding this as 
" a voice from God," he embarked in his Indian canoe, and with 
a few companions, crossed the stream. The spot on which they 
landed he named Providence, in grateful acknowledgment of the 
Hand which had guided his wandermgs. " I desired it might be 
a shelter for persons distressed for conscience," was the Christian 
motto which this good man chose for his Colony. 

Williams met our old friend Mr. Blackstone of Boston, in the 
new colony. The latter had planted the first apple-orchard there, 

What opinions procured him enemies ? — How far did they proceed against 
him ? — Describe his wanderings in the wilderness. — Where did he first settle? 
— What spirit did he manifest towards his enemies ? — Why did he remove, and 
where did he go ? — What did he name his new home, and what design it for ? 



20 



COLONIAL HISTORY 



and was busily employed in cultivating "yellow-sweetings/' and 
preaching to the Indians. He was too odd a man to agree with 
Roger Williams in all things, but he often visited him and 
preached for him at Providence. In their love and labor for the 
Indians, these Christian men were truly united. 

And now an Indian war drew on : the country between the 
Connecticut river and Narragansett Bay, was thickly peopled by 
Indian tribes. Of these, the Pequods, Mohegans, and Narragan- 
setts, were the most powerful. The Pequods, dreading the power 
of the English, endeavored to form a league with the other tribes, 
to drive the white man from: their land. The Indians were urged 
by every motive of interest to join in this attempt. Who was 




Roger William 



e SuL'lu'in of tbo Narragansetts 



there to mtercede for the English with the savage foe ? One man 
could do it: he knew their language; they loved and honored 

Where were the Indians most numerous ? — What Indian league threatened 
the settlements ? — Relate the means by which this league was prevented. 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 21 

him, but would he do it ? Would Eoger Williams plead for his 
persecutors ? Yes ! he had learned the beautiful lesson, '^ to over- 
come evil with good/^ Alone, in a frail canoe, in a storm, and at 
the risk of his life, he visited the Sachem of these tribes. The 
Pequod messengers were there. They were fresh from the murder 
of one Colonist; — would they spare him who had come to thwart 
their designs of revenge ? God restrained their wrath, and put a 
word in his mouth to which the savages listened, and the colonists 
were saved. 

In the spring of 1638, the time of the Hutchinson 
dijB&culties, a number of her followers, headed by John 
Clark and William Coddington, left Massachusetts, and being 
kindly received by Hoger Williams, they obtained from the Indians 
the large island in Narragansett Bay, settled there, and called it 
Khode Island, because of a fancied resemblance to the little Island 
of Rhodes, in the Mediterranean Sea, so celebrated for its beauty. 
Such was the early settlement of 

" Rhode Island, the land where the exile sought rest, 
The Eden where wandered the Pilgrim oppressed." 



CONNECTICUT. 

The founders of the busy little State of Connecticut were of 
the excellent of the earth, and between the years 1633 and 1636, 
four flourishing villages had sprung up on the banks of its beau- 
tiful river. The earliest was at Windsor; others followed at 
Hartford, Saybrook, and Wethersfield, and in 1638, on the shores 
of Long Island Sound, New Haven, now one of the loveliest cities 
in all New England, was founded by a Puritan pastor. 

One of the most interesting migrations to Connecticut from the 
Bay colonies, was conducted by the Rev. Thomas Hooker. He 

What led to the settlement of Rhode Island? — Why so named? — Mention 
the earliest settlements in Connecticut. — Who was the Rev. Thomas Hooker ? 



22 COLONIAL HISTORY 

was an English minister, of such persuasive eloquence, that his 
preaching attracted crowded congregations in England. Induced 
by Governor Winthrop to come to the Colonies, he was received 
in Massachusetts by some of his own people, who had preceded him. 
They thronged the beach to testify their welcome, and springing 
ashore, he embraced them with open arms, exclaiming, in the 
words of St. Paul, ^^Now I live if ye stand fast in the Lord.'' 

An old writer says of Hooker, " He is the one rich pearl, with 
which England more than repaid America for the treasures from 
her coast." 

This good man, with one hundred of his flock, left Cambridge 
in the April of 1636, for the rich and beautiful valley of 
the Connecticut river, — '' the pleasant country," as it was 
called by the Indian Sachem, who first invited the Plymouth 
people to settle there. The little band travelled on foot over the 
hills and streams and through the forests, which lay between them 
and their new strange home. They lived chiefly on the milk of 
the herds and flocks, which they drove before them, and were 
cheered and sustained by the fervent piety of their excellent 
pastor. The great proportion of the people settled at Hartford, 
whilst others went to Wethersfield; and a few from Roxbury sailed 
higher up the Connecticut river, and founded Springfield, in 
Massachusetts. 

The Colony of New Haven is remarkable for the reli- 
gious spirit which marked its laws. The first congrega- 
tion assembled under a branching oak, and in framing their 
government, determined that " all of them would be ordered by 
the rules which the Scripture held forth to them.'' They prospered, 
and planted many a pleasant village along the Sound and on the 
shores of Long Island. This Colony was distinct from the Con- 
necticut Colony. The latter included the settlements at Hartford, 
Windsor, Wethersfield, &c. New Haven had its own governor, 

How was he received in Massachusetts ? — When did he lead a colony from 
Cambridge ? — Describe its progress. — Where did his people settle ? — For 
what was the colony of New Haven remarkable ? 



OPNEWEN GLAND. 23 

of whom the first, Theophilus Eaton was elected for twenty suc- 
cessive years, until his death. 

The early settlers of Connecticut were surrounded by perils, 
and had need of those virtues of patience and perseverance, which 
have given to this little State the name of '^the land of steady- 
habits." They had but few implements of husbandry ; hardly a 
yoke of oxen, or a plough, wherewith to clear and cultivate their 
forest fields. They found unfriendly neighbors in the Dutch, who 
claimed their country, and worse than all, they were exposed to a 
savage Indian foe. They suffered much from the hostility of the 
Pequods, who, although they could not obtain the alliance of the 
other Indian tribes, yet made the situation of the colony very in- 
secure. The infant was not safe in its cradle, nor the mother and 
children in their cottage : even when at work, the colonists car- 
ried their arms, and when gathered for worship, the muskets were 
stacked at the door, and a sentry was left to keep watch. Several 
murders had been committed, the whole colony was threatened, 
and there seemed to be no choice but to make war on these savage 
neighbors. 

In May of the year 1637, with a band of ninety men, tnoj 
seventy from Connecticut, and twenty contributed by the 
Bay Colony, the Puritans entered upon their first warfare. They 
began this, as every other undertaking, with prayer, and a Sabbath 
occurring during their march, they rested and observed it. The 
Indians, relying on their numbers, their arrows, which had ever 
proved such deadly weapons m their hands, and their rush-work 
forts, believed themselves secure against the little band of seventy- 
gevcn, — for to this was their number reduced before the assailants 
reached the Indian strongholds. 

About eight miles north-east of the present town of New 
London, stood the principal Pequod fort, and to attack it the 
colonist soldiers now directed their march. The Indians had set no 

Who was the first Governor ? — What difficulties beset the early colonists of 
Connecticut? — Describe the clangers to which Indian hostility exposed them. 
— What did they determine to do ? — What was the number of their army? — 
How did they enter upon their warfare ? — On what did the Indians rely for 
defence ? — Against what furt did the soldiers march ? 



24 COLONIAL HISTORY 

sentry, and the barking of a dog gave the first alarm of the 
enemy's approach. In confusion, amid cries of "Owanux!" 
''Owanux!'' (The English! The English !) they rallied with bow 
and arrow for the fight. It was soon ended ; their fort and wig- 
wams were burned, and six hundred Indians slain. The few that 
survived this slaughter were driven from their country, until there 
remained of this entire and once powerful tribe, not one who bore 
the Pequod name. 

Connecticut, now free from danger, grew and prospered. It 
was her happy lot to be blessed with God-fearing governors. Her 
population doubled once in every twenty years for a century, and 
thus grew up a hardy and industrious race, cultivating alike the 
rugged and the fertile soil. 



MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

Let us now glance at the settlements of Maine and New Hamp- 
shire. The territory comprising these States was divided between 
Sir Ferdinand Gorges, John Mason, and others. They planted 
at Portsmouth, Dover, and on the coast of Maine, a few set- 
^^ tlements, but they established no wise government, and 
IpoA in a few years, both these colonies placed themselves 
under the government of Massachusetts, and sent repre- 
sentatives to the General Court. New Hampshire united with 
Massachusetts in 1641, and Maine in 1652. 

In the year 1680 the king of England made New Hampshire a 
royal province. In after years, when Massachusetts had lost her 
charter, and was under royal rule, the two provinces were occa- 
sionally united under one governor. In 1741 they were finally 
separated, and from that time until the war of Independence, the 
two colonies had separate royal governors. 

Describe the attack. — What was the result ? — What was the condition of 
Connecticut after the Pequod war? — Who owned the territory of Maine and 
New Hampshire? — Where were settlements planted ? — What became of 
these colonies ? 



or NEW ENGLAND. 25 



THE UNION OF THE COLONIES. 

The various dangers to which the New England Colonies were 
exposed, the claims of the Dutch, Indian hostility, and attempts 
in England to take away their charters, all these motives led them 
to unite for protection. This first confederation of New England 
Colonies, took place in 1643. It lasted fifty years, and when 
broken up by the loss of their charters, the Colonists still cherished 
the desire for union. Nearly a century was to pass away before 
this desire should be fully accomplished. 

The Colonies forming this union, were Massachusetts, 
Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven. Two persons * 

were sent by each Plantation, and when assembled, they chose 
their president, and passed laws for the general welfare. Ehode 
Island, refusing to be included in the Plymouth Colony, was not 
admitted to the Confederation. It became necessary, therefore, for 
this Colony in some other way to secure the benefits which the 
union proposed. 

The conduct of her founders towards the Indians, had always 
been so wise and just, that nothing was feared from that quarter; 
and to secure the favor of England, Roger Williams embarked for 
that country. He was kindly received by Sir Henry Vane, who 
exerted for him his influence in Parliament. That body esteemed 
him highly for his labors as an Indian missionary, and granted 
to the Rhode Island and Providence Plantations a free 
charter, with full " power and authority to rule themselves.^' loo4. 

Williams joyfully returned to New England; he landed at 
Boston, and proceeded across the country to Providence. Reach- 
ing Seekonk, he found the Bay "covered with a fleet of canoes; 
all Providence had come forth to welcome the return of its bene- 

What led the New England colonies to unite? — Where was the union 
formed, and how long did it last ? — What colonies were included in this union ? 
— How were the laws of the united colonies passed? — Why was not Rhode 
Island admitted ? — For what object did Roger Williams go to England? — 
How was he received, and what did he obtain ? — How welcomed on his return 
to Rhode Island ? 

8 



26 COLONIAL HISTORY 

factor." In their gratitude tliej desired to make him their 
governor, but he refused, and for forty years Rhode Island was 
without one. Its government was a Democracy, and resembled 
very much that of the children of Israel under the Judges. 

The charters which the New England colonies obtained, were 
very precious to them, and there was no evil they so much 
dreaded as these charters being taken away. During the reign of 
King Charles I., this evil was often threatened, but providentially for 
these colonies, civil war in England prevented the execution of it. 
When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans obtained the power 
in England, they wished Massachusetts to give up the 
old charter and accept a new one, acknowledging the right 
of Parliament to control their General Court. But the colonists 
shrewdly replied, " Times may be changed ; for all things here 
below are subject to vanity, and other Princes or Parliaments may 
arise," and so they refused to surrender to iheir friends the liberty 
they had so manfully defended against their enemies. These were 
bright days of prosperity for the New England colonies. Crom- 
well, and his Parliament favored them in every respect : their 
commerce grew and flourished : they were allowed to export 
goods to England free of duty. Their religion, government, 
trade, and industry, were all left free from oppressive laws. 

But the ten years of Cromwell's administration passed away, 

and in May 1660, Charles IL, whose father had been 

' beheaded by the republicans, became king of England. 

"Another Prince and another Parliament" had arisen, and the 

Puritan colonics, trembling for their liberties, hastened to take 

prudent measures for securing them. 

From Connecticut, the younger Winthrop, son of Gov. Win- 

throp, of Massachusetts, was sent to England, as their 

■ agent. They could not have chosen more wisely. He 

was a man whose virtues so outshone his faults that the latter have 

How were the charters regarded by the colonists ? — By whom was the safety 
of the charters threatened? — What did the English Parliament desire, and 
how did the colonists reply? — What was their condition during Cromwell's 
administration ? —What did they fear on the accession of Charles II. ? — What 
measure was taken by Connecticut to preserve her liberties ? 



OFNEW ENGLAND. 27 

long since faded from memory, and historians present him to U5 
as a character almost perfect. The beauty of his person, his 
winning manners and conversation, so influenced the king, that he 
granted to the Connecticut colonies an ample charter, and Win- 
throp returned in triumph to America. The colony showed its 
gratitude to Winthrop, by electing him, annually, for fourteen 
years, as their governor, and to this feeling towards the mother 
country, we may trace the fact, that almost every town within the 
borders of Connecticut, bears an English name. New Haven waa 
DOW united with the Connecticut colony. 

Rhode Island followed the wise example of Connecticut, and 
by the exertions of Roger AVilliams and Mr. Clark, obtained from 
King Charles II. a charter which remained in force, as 
the supreme law of the State, until the year 1844. 

Thus were the colonies of Rhode Island and Connecticut secured 
in their liberties : but the Massachusetts Bay colony had been too 
openly befriended by Cromwell, to hope for much flivor on the 
restoration of a Stuart king. The same vessel which brought the 
news of this event, brought too, among its passengers, 
Goffe and WhaUey, two of the Judges who had sen- 
tenced King Charles I. to the block, and who fled as regicides 
from their country. They were not looked upon as such in New 
England, but were received and befriended. " The Judges' Cave" 
is still shown in West Rock, New Haven, where they lay con- 
cealed, on one occasion, when the king's messengers were in close 
pursuit of them. 

Charles II. was not publicly proclaimed in the Massachusetts 
colonies as king, until a full year after his accession to 
the throne; but a public address was presented to his 
majesty, in which they appeal to him "as a king who had seen 
adversity, and who, having himself been an exile, knew the hearts 
of exiles," ^^and they prayed for a continuation of their liberties." 

What is said of Winthrop's character? — What was the success of his mis- 
sion ? — How did the colony testify her gratitude ? — What success had Rhode 
Island in securing her charter?— Why was the charter of Massachusetts in 
greater danger than those of Rhode Island and Connecticut? — How were tha 
regicides received in this colony ? — How did the colony address the king ? 



28 COLONIAL HISTORY 

The result of their petition was a promise that they should keep 
their charter, on condition that the king should be acknowledged 
as having a right to interfere in their domestic concerns, that 
justice should be administered in his name, that the church of 
England should be tolerated, and a few other requirements equally 
disagreeable to the colonists, and opposed to their charter. The 
terms were refused, and then the king sent over four 
commissioners, with full authority to settle the affairs of 
the colony. This caused great alarm : a day of fasting and prayer 
was appointed, and a firm, but loyal appeal made to the king, in 
which they declare the commission to be contrary to their charter, 
''given under the great seal'' thirty years before, by which "they 
enjoy the privilege of government within themselves^ as their un- 
doubted right in the sight of God and man." 

The commissioners from the king arrived, but they met with 
80 much resistance from the colonists that nothing could be done, 
and at length the attempt was given up, and the conduct of the 
colony reported to England. The king then commanded the 
colonies to send deputies to England to answer for their conduct. 
The colonies refused, but before this act could bring them 
* into difficulty, the only able minister of King Charles 
had been exiled, and an inefficient government in England left 
the colonists in peace. 

On what conditions might they keep their charter? — Who were sent into 
Massachusetts by the king? — What effect had this upon the oolonists? — How 
were the commissioners received? — What did the king next demand? 



Review Questions. — Describe the character of Roger Williams. — Relate 
his history, to the time of his leaving Massachusetts. — What is said of the 
colony which he founded? — Of his mediation with the Indians? — Who 
founded Rhode Island? — Describe Hooker's progress to the Connecticut 
river, and name the earliest settlements there. — What is said of the settle- 
ment of New Haven ? — Character of early settlers of Connecticut? — Relate the 
history of the Pequod war. — Give, briefly, the early history of Maine and New 
Hampshire. — Why did the colonists unite, and describe their union? — How 
did Rhode Island secure her charter? — What is said of these New England 
charters in the time of Charles I. ? — Of Cromwell? — On the accession of 
Charles II. how did Connecticut secure her charter? — Rhode Island? —Re- 
late the struggle of the Massachuaetta Bay colonies for their charter. 



OFNEW ENGLAND. 29 



CHAPTER III. 
KING Philip's war — loss of Massachusetts charter — 

SALEM witchcraft, AND KING WILLIAM'S WAR. 

"The cone-roofed cabins melt away, 
And pale-faced strangers bear the sway." 

There is a beautiful English proverb which says, " God tem- 
pers the wind to the shorn lamb/' and it seems to apply to the 
colonies during the next few years, for while they were suffering 
the miseries of an Indian war, their charters were left unmolested. 

The Indians in New England had become fewer since the ar- 
rival of the English. There were not at this time more 
than thirty thousand, whilst the colonists numbered fifty- 
five thousand. The tribes were most numerous in the country 
between the western borders of Connecticut and Narragansett Bay. 

As dear as was to the colonist his chartered liberty, so was 
the freedom of forest and hunting-ground to the Indian. And 
these valued possessions were fast passing out of his hands, and 
by treaty or purchase he saw them turned into farms and pasture- 
lands. The Indians were permitted to keep only narrow strips of 
territory. These were scattered among white settlements, that 
the helpless inhabitants might be more readily watched and 
defeated, should any hostile movement appear. 

Massasoit was dead, and Philip, of Pokonoket, his son, was the 
most powerful Sachem of the New England tribes. He was sus- 
pected of being an enemy to the English, and was informed 
against. The informer was murdered, and his Indian murderers 
discovered, tried, and put to death. Then savage vengeance was 
aroused, and slept not again but with the destruction of the tribes. 

Repeat the motto. — What proverb applies to the circumstances of the colo- 
nists at this time? — What was the number of Indians in New England at 
this time ? — Where were they most numerous ? — How did the Indians regard 
their savage freedom? — How were they restrained ? — Who had succeeded 
Massasoit, and what of him ? — What circumstances led to an Indian war? 

a* 



30 COLONIAL HISTORY 

The first hostile deed was the murder of nine men at Swanzey, 
in the Plymouth colony; and now were renewed all the horrors of 
the Pequod war, and on a much larger scale. In Connecticut the 
Mohegan tribes remained faithful. But in all the rest of New 
England, there was no spot secure. Philip's stronghold was at 
Mount Hope, near Bristol, in Rhode Island ; driven thence, he 
went to rouse the Massachusetts Indians. In this unhappy 
colony, town after town was laid in ashes, and horrible cruelties 
committed. 

The details of Indian warfare need not be dwelt upon. They 
are very horrible : but it is useful sometimes to think of the suf- 
ferings of others; and mothers in the pleasant homes of Provi- 
dence, Springfield, Deerfield, and Hadley, may do well to remember 
the "heavy hours" of the New England women of a former 
generation. 

The mother retired to rest, to be awakened at midnight by the 
dreadful Indian warwhoop, to see her children cut down before her 
by the tomahawk, or it may be, carried away into captivity. The 
family on the Sabbath, on their way to church, are startled by the 
bullets shot by a hidden foe from behind thickets and fences. 
The farmer gathering his harvests, the shepherd tending his flocks, 
the laborer in the fields, were alike exposed to the attacks of a 
cunning and cruel enemy. 

Before the end of this war, twenty-five villages had been laid 
in ruins, and "one (white) family in every twenty, had 

' ' been burned out.'^ Still more terrible was the fate of 
the Indians in this struggle. No open battle-field was fought, 
but they were pursued in winter, to their strongholds, by captains 
Josiah Winslow, Church, Turner, and other soldiers of the colo- 
nies ; their wigwams were burned, their families often perishing 
in the flames. 

Many were made prisoners and sold, some wandered away and 
joined other tribes, and when the brave King Philip was sur- 

With what hostile deed did it begin? — What colony was exempted from the 
horrors of this war, and why so? — Where was King Philip's stronghold ? — 
Describe the unsafe condition of the colonists. — Mention the sufferings of 
toth Indiaiis apd cqlpi^ists in this war. 



O F N E W E N G L A N D . 31 

rounded in a swamp and shot, by the treachery of an Indian, he 
was almost the last of his tribe. 

Thus ended King Philip's war. The colonists had carried it on 
without aid from England ; they had united in helping each other, 
and the Irish people expressed their sympathy, by sending over a 
supply of provisions to the Plymouth colony. 

Scarcely had the Indian war ended, when the charter struggle 
again commenced. The king declared that Massachusetts 
had no rights over the provinces of Maine and New 
Hampshire. Both these provinces had been granted to Sir Fer- 
dinand Gorges and John Mason, before placing themselves under 
the government of the Massachusetts Bay colony; and now King 
Charles proposed giving them to another English nobleman. 
Before he had granted the charter, however, a Boston merchant, 
acting for the colony of Massachusetts, bought the claims of 
Gorges on the province of Maine, for about six thousand dollars, 
and thus secured it by right of purchase. 

New Hampshire was not so fortunate. King Charles 
made it a royal province, and appointed a governor and 
council. .f The colonists, although Puritans, were required to use 
the Liturgy of the English Church, and to observe its fasts and 
festivals. These, with many acts of like tyranny, made them sigh 
for the days when they were united to Massachusetts, and sent 
representatives to the General Court. In spirit, they were still 
united. 

The king demanded that Massachusetts should submit to laws 
passed in the English Parliament, oppressing the commerce of the 
infant colonies. The people answered, that laws passed in the 
Parliament of England, were not binding upon the colonies, 
^Hhey not being represented'^ there. At the same time, willing 
to yield everything but their charter, they passed an act in their 

Whose death put an end to the war, and when? — From whom had the 
colonists received assistance during the war? — What provinces were now to 
be taken away from Massachusetts? — To whom had they been granted ori- 
ginally? — IIow was Maine secured to Massachusetts? — What course was 
pursued towards New Hampshire ? — What did the king try to impose upon 
Massachusetts? — What did the colonists reply? 



82 COLONIAL HISTORY 

own General Court, by which they bound themselves to 
obey the English laws of trade. They also expressed 
their readiness to give up the province of Maine, because that 
was only held by right of purchase. They would, indeed, cheer- 
fully give up everything, save the precious right of " government 
within themselves,'^ which the charter granted. The struggle 
was at its height when King Charles II. died, and his 
' brother, James II., ascended the throne. He was a Ro- 
man Catholic, and ready to oppress his own most loyal Protestant 
subjects in England. What could Massachusetts hope ? 

Kino; James II., the year after his accession, deter- 
mined to take away from the several New England colo- 
nies their charters, and to make these colonies a royal province, 
tinder a governor appointed by himself. Sir Edmund Andros was 
chosen to carry this plan into effect, and was appointed royal 
governor for the province of New England. 

It was on the 30th of December, sixty-six years from the land- 
ing of the Pilgrims, that Sir Edmund Andros, "glittering in 
scarlet and lace," arrived at the town of Boston. No very warm 
welcome greeted him here, but resistance was hopelessT Thus 
was lost the charter so dearly prized, so manfully fought for, which 
fifty-five years before was brought by Winthrop to America, and 
which, during that long period, had been, under God, the strength 
and hope of the colony. He was not only to rule Massachusetts, 
but all New England, and began at once the exercise of his au- 
thority, by demanding the charters of llhode Island and Connec- 
ticut. Rhode Island obeyed. The governor then pro- 
ceeded across the country to Connecticut. Fifty years 
before. Hooker and his little band, in humility and faith, had 
travelled through the unbroken forest to plant this happy colony ; 
and now. Sir Edmund Andros, with an armed force, with pomp 

How much did the colonists yield, and what were they unwilling to give up? 
— What event occurred in England in 16S5 ? — Who was sent to Massachu- 
setts to take away the charter? — When did he arrive, and how was he re- 
ceived? — What charters were first delivered to him? — Descrihe his journey 
to Connecticut. 



or NEW ENGLAND. 



83 



and parade, made the same journey, to take away for ever, if he 
might, its freedom. 

But the Conneeticut people were never wanting in shrewdness, 
and although they could not secure their liberty, they contrived to 
keep their charter. Sir Edmund came into their assembly, which 
met at Hartford, and demanded the charter. It was not presented 
at once, but the subject discussed until evening. Suddenly the 
lights were put out, and during the darkness, the charter was car- 
ried off. William Wadsworth secured it and hid it in the 
hollow of an old oak tree. Andros asked for the Records of the 



v^-rz^^^si: ^^^^»-SS% / 



''■'mi' 




William Wadsworth hiding the Charter. 



colony, and wrote under them the Latin word "Finis," which 
means " the end." Having thus destroyed, as he supposed, the 
liberties of the colonies, he began his own harsh rule. But the 
day of his power was soon over. 

How did this colony contrive to keep its charter ? 
C 



84 COLONIAL HISTORY 

In April of the year 1689, news reached Boston, that 
James II. had been driven from his throne, and the Pro- 
testant sovereigns, William and Mary, were placed upon it. The 
messenger was arrested, but such good news could not be long 
kept secret. Soon, all Boston was aroused ; companies marched 
through the streets with drums and colors, and Sir Edmund An- 
dros was seized and thrown into prison. The General Court was 
once more assembled, and joy spread throughout the colonies. 
The charter-oak yielded its faded, but precious treasure, and the 
word " finis" disappeared from the records. 



- ^ When King William ascended the throne of England, 

the union of the Connecticut and Massachusetts colonics 
was broken up. He permitted Rhode Island and Connecticut to 
keep their charters, given them by King Charles II., but he 
would not restore that of Massachusetts. By a new ciharter, this 
colony became a royal province, with a governor appointed by the 
king. The first who bore rule under the new charter, was Sir 
William Phipps. New Hampshire was still kept separate from 
Massachusetts, and had also a royal governor. 

The principal event during the remainder of the seventeenth 
century in New England, was a war carried on with the French 
ond Indians. It began in 1689; but before considering this war, 
we shall relate some sad occurrences in the little town of Salem, 
thirteen miles north of Boston. 

We hear so much about Salem witchcraft, that we are apt to 
imagine this little town is the only one in the world that was ever 
troubled by such a calamity. This is a great mistake. Many years 
before, and many years after the twenty persons were put to death 
in Salem, for witchcraft, more than one hundred and thirty thousand 
were executed in England, Scotland, France, and Germany, upon 
the same pretext. 

What event destroyed Sir Edmund Andros' power? — What was done with 
him? — What course did King William pursue towards the New England 
colonies? — What change did Massachusetts undergo? — Where is Salem? — 
Was a belief in witchcraft general in that age ? 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 85 

The belief ia withcraft was this : it was supposed that if the 
devil could persuade any liuman being to help him, he could do a 
great deal to tempt and destroy mankind. It was thought that 
the devil appeared to some persons, and persuaded them to enter 
into a league with him, and become his servants. Some went so 
far as to say, that he caused such to sign their names in blood in 
a little red book, and that they promised to do his bidding, and 
he, in return, promised to give them power to distress or persecute 
any whom they chose. This league between the devil and a witch 
(as such a person, whether man or woman, was called) was believed 
to give more power for evil to both, than either would have alone. 

Such a belief, strange and awful as it seems to us, was held, not 
only by the ignorant, but by the *good, and great, and wise. Sir 
Matthew Hale, the Lord Chief Justice of England, the pious 
Kichard Baxter, and the wise philosopher, Robert Boyle, all 
believed in it. Can we wonder then, that the forest homes of 
America, surrounded by savage Indians, and saddened by poverty, 
should be filled with the same belief and dread of the evil one's 
power ? Or is it strange that the Mathers and Sewalls of America 
should err in judgment ? 

It was in the month of February, 1692, that Elizabeth 
Parris and Abigail Williams, the daughter and niece of a 
minister, were taken ill. When the physician came to see them, 
he could not tell what was the matter, and in an evil hour he said 
they were heioitched, that is, that some one in league with the 
devil was tormenting them. Being told to name the person, they 
accused an old Indian woman, named Tituba. Perhaps the chil- 
dren had heard Tituba singing wild Indian songs, and may have 
thought she had some strange power over them. Her master, Mr. 
Parris, treated her harshly, until, in her terror, she confessed tha 
she was a witch. 

Soon, many other persons in the towns of Salem, Danvers, 
IMarblehead, and Andover, declared they were bewitched, and ac- 

"Whatwas the doctrine of Witchcraft ? — Mention some great men in Europe 
who believed in it. — What event gave rise to it in Salem? — Whom did the 
children accuse, and why ? — What was done with Tituba ? — What other towns 
produce i victims to this delusion ? 



86 COLONIAL II TSTO II Y 

cused others. A court was formed to try them. The house, where 
the poor witches were examined, is still to be seen in Salem, as 
well as the very pins with which, it is said, they tormented their 
victims. If, when brought into court, they confessed that they 
were witches, they were saved; but if the fear of Grod was so 
strong in their hearts that the;^ would not tell a lie, even to save 
their lives, they were hanged. Thus, twenty persons were put to 
death. Dreadfully cruel as this seems to us, we must remember 
that the Judges really believed that these people were in league 
with the devil, although they would not confess it, and that if 
allowed to live, they would do a great deal of harm. Let us then 
be slow to condemn, but thank God that we live in better days. 

This season of error and persecution lasted nearly a 
year. At length, Mrs. Hale, the wife of a minister at 
B^erly, was accused. Her life was so pure and holy, that the 
most superstitious could not believe her guilty of such dreadful 
wickedness. They knew those who accused her must have sworn 
falsely. This event was, in God's providence, the means of 
opening the eyes of the people to the evil of the whole thing. 
The prison-doors were opened. The magistrates who had been 
engaged in this persecution, did all they could to atone for the 
evil that had been committed. 

One good Judge felt so deeply penitent, that he ever afterwards 
observed one day in the year for prayer and humiliation, and " on 
the day of general fast, he rose in the place where he was accus- 
tomed to worship, the Old South church, in Boston, and in the 
presence of the congregation, handed up to the pulpit a written 
confession, acknowledging his error, and praying for the forgive- 
ness of God and his people." 

Witch-Hill is still pointed out to the visitor at Salem. In 
looking at it, let us not think of the sad errors of that Salem 
court, which condemned those who were hung there, but let it 

What was done with the witches ? — How many were put to death ? — What 
apology can bo made for this dreadful superstition ? — What event put an end 
t,o it? — How many had suffered? — What is said of the penitence of those 
engaged it? — What evidence of true penitence was given by one of tho 
Judges ? 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 87 

serve as a proof of the weakness of poor human nature, and (to 
use the words of Judge Story) let it remind us, " that -perfect 
justice belongs to one Judgment-seat only — that which is linked 
to the throne of God/^ 

When King William came to the throne of England, he was at 
war with Louis XIV. of France. This war soon extended to the 
English and French colonies in America. The French were set- 
tled all along the banks of the river St. Lawrence, and in the 
northern and eastern parts of Maine. In 1G90, a large 
force of New England and New York troops undertook 
the conquest of Canada. The land expedition was to proceed to 
Montreal, by way of Lake Champlain, whilst a fleet of thirty-four 
vessels, furnished by Massachusetts, was to enter the St. Law- 
rence, and surprise Quebec. 

The land forces, under Gen. Winthrop, only reached the head 
of Lake Champlain. There sickness, the want of provisions, and 
disputes among their commanders, obliged them to return. 

The little fleet, commanded by Sir William Phipps, appeared 
before Quebec, but the French had heard of their approach, and 
the strong fortress was defended by a larger force than that of 
the assailants. Discouraged and disheartened, they retreated from 
the town. It was October. On the return voyage, autumn storms 
scattered their fleet. The expedition, from which so much had 
been hoped, ended only in disappointment. 

Earlier in this year, however, a fleet from New England, under 
Sir William Phipps, had wrested Nova Scotia from the French. 
In conducting the war, the French called to their assistance the 
cruel services of the Indians. Stealing through the forests in 
their snow-shoes, and concealing themselves until evening, they and 
their inhuman allies fell upon many an unsuspecting family or 
village of Maine and New Hampshire, leaving behind them deso- 

Repeat the words of Judge Story. — Why were the colonists exposed to 
French hostilities? — Describe the plan of the attack on Canada. — How far 
did the land forces proceed? — Relate the history of the expedition by sea. — 
What success had the New Englanders met with earlier in the year? — What 
cruel allies did the French employ ? — How did they manage their attacks ? 

4 



38 C O L O N I A Ti Tl I S T O R Y 

latiou and death. The following is one of the s;id stories of King 
William's war : — 

One day the Indian war-whoop fell on the startled ears of 
Hannah Dustin and her family, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. She, 
with a young infjint, was too ill to attempt to fly, and her husband, 
to save their other seven little ones, was obliged to leave her. He 
escaped with his little flock to a place of safety, but the Indians 
killed the baby, and carried Mrs. Dustin into captivity. They 
tonic also a boy and a nurse : the party were obliged to march 
many days through the forests, and at length reached a little 
island in the Merrimack river. 

Hannah Dustin determined to escape. The boy whom the 
Indians had taken captive, was named Samuel Leonardson, and 
came from Worcester. He now aided Mrs. Dustin in her plans. 
He had learned from the Indians how to scalp, and at night, when 
the Indian family who guarded them were asleep, Mrs. Dustin, 
the nurse, and the boy, each took a tomahawk, and killing ten of 
the twelve Indians, made their escape to the nearest English 
settlement. 

In 1697 the war was ended, and in the peace made 
between the two countries, Nova Scotia was again given 
up to the French. 

Relate the story of Hannah Dustin's capture by the Indians. — Rclato the 
story of her escape from captivity. — When did the war close ? 

Rkview Qiirstions. — What led to King Philip's •war? — Describe the suf- 
ferings occasioned by it. — How did it end? — What events in Massachusetts 
after King Philip's war ? — Relate the loss of the charter, and the conduct of 
Andros. — What of the New England colonies when King William came to 
the throne ?-^ Describe the belief in witchcraft, and the sufferings in Salem 
and other towns on account of it. — What put an end to it? — What is said 
of King William's war ? — Describe the expedition against Canada. — How did 
it end? — Repeat the story of Hannah Dustin. — When was this war ended ? 



OENEW ENGL AND. 39 



CHAPTER IV. 

QUEEN ANNE's WAR AND THE OLD FRENCH WAR. 
" Wasta are those pleasant farms, and the farmers forever departed 1 

* * * - * » * « * * i;f * * 

Naught but tradition remains of the beautiful village of grand Pre." 

Longfellow. 

The history of the 18th century in the colonies, is but 
the history of wars. The first of these, is Queen Anne's, 
so called from the sovereign then seated on the English throne. 

The cruelties practised in King William's war, were repeated 
in this. The French, accompanied by the savage Indian, stole 
down from the forests of Canada and Maine, and fell upon de- 
fenceless villages, carrying into captivity and murdering the 
helpless inhabitants. 

In February of 1704, a party of two hundred French, 
and one hundred and forty-two Indians, attacked the town 
of Deerfield, in Massachusetts. '' With the aid of snow-shoes, they 
had walked on the crust all the way from Canada." On reaching the 
neighborhood, they concealed themselves in a pine forest until after 
midnight, when they roused, with their fearful war-whoop, the 
slumbering villagers : a dreadful scene ensued. The village was 
burned, forty-seven were killed, and one hundred and twelve car- 
ried into captivity. 

Among those doomed to this "winter's march through the 
wilderness," was Eunice Williams, the wife of the minister of 
Deerfield. Even amid the horrors of that night, she had remem- 
bered her Bible, and secured it from the flames. It was now her 
greatest comfort. Her husband spoke with her of " the house 

What is the history of the 18th century ? — Name the first war of this cen- 
tury in the colonies. — What cruelties were practised by the Indians? — De- 
Bcribe the attack on Deerfield. — What befell Eunice Williams ? 



40 COLONIAL HISTORY 

not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," for they knew, she 
being too weak for the painful march, that an Indian tomahawk 
would soon separate them in this world. The cruel savages put 
her to death, and carried her little daughter with them to Montreal. 
The child was then seven years of age, and refusing all entreaties 
for her ransom, the Indians brought her up as one of their tribe. 
She became the wife of an Indian chief, and many years after- 
wards, visited her friends in Deerfield. She wore the Indian dress, 
and loved the Indian life ; and notwithstanding all the prayers of 
her Deerfield friends, " she returned to the fires of her own wig- 
wam, and to the love of her own Mohawk children." 

The most important conquest made by the colonists in 

this war, was the capture of Port Royal, a French town, 
in the province of Acadia, since called Nova Scotia. This was a 
valuabje possession for the English. As long as the French held 
the towns and islands and bays near the Newfoundland fishing 
banks, they could attack the New England fishermen, who went 
thither to catch cod and mackerel. On the capture of Port Royal, 
it was named Annapolis, or '•'■ city of Anna," in honour of the 
English Queen. 

In 1713, the mother countries made a peace, called 

from the place in Holland where the treaty was signed, 
the peace of Utrecht. By this treaty, the French agreed to yield 
to the English Hudson's Bay, Newfoundland, and the peninsula 
of Acadia. They had no intention, however, of giving up their 
right in the valuable cod-fisheries, and they took possession of the 
little rocky island of Cape Breton, and built there the strong for- 
tress of Louisburg. In yielding Acadia too, they only gave up 
the peninsula. They still held the isthmus, which connects it 
with the main land. They built there two small forts at the head 
of the Bay of Fundy. The English called this peninsula Nova 
Scotia, and established there the towns of Annapolis and Halifax, 

Whither was her child carried ? — Relate the future history of this child. — • 
What was the most important conquest of this war? — Where is Port Royal, 
and why was its possession important to the colonists? — To what was its 
name changed? — What did the French give up by the treaty of Utrecht?-— 
What fortress did they build, and where ? 



OP NEW ENGLAND. 41 

but the population was still French, There were scaicely more 
than five or six English families in Acadia. 

Thus ended Queen Anne's war. From the year 1714 to 1744, 
the New England colonists enjoyed peace. Towns and villages 
increased rapidly, anJ those already founded, grew in prosperity. 
Every little sea-side town increased the number of its vessels 
engaged in the cod Hl.1 mackerel fisheries, and even in pursuit of 
the whale, which was then found in much lower latitudes than 
now. Manufactures were encouraged; that of linen was com- 
menced by some Irish Presbyterians, who came over early in the 
century. The first American newspaper, the '' Boston News 
Letter,'' had been printed, and Benjamin Franklin, in 1721, had 
aided an elder brother in establishing a second, called the " New 
England Couraut." This little paper drew upon the Franklins 
the censure of Increase Mather, who was then living at the ad- 
vanced age of four-score years. He thought they supported too 
strongly the doctrines of liberty of conscience, and in 1723, the 
paper was put down. Benjamin Franklin left Boston, and went 
to Philadelphia. 

The peace, so favorable for the colonies, was broken in 
the year 1744, by another war between France and Eng- 
land. Before the New England people knew that war had been 
declared, some French, from the island of Cape Breton, surprised 
and destroyed an English fort in Nova Scotia. As long as the 
French possessed this strong-hold of Louisburg, the New England 
colonists felt they would never be safe from attack, and they 
determined to take it from them. 

The brave and expert fishermen of Marblehead gladly entered 
into the scheme. This army of New England fishermen, me- 
chanics, lumberers, and husbandmen, headed by William Pepperell, 
a merchant of Maine, sailed from Boston on this daring expedition. 

How long did the New England colonies enjoy peace? — What of their 
prosperity during this period? — What is said of their fisheries? — Give the 
name of the first American newspaper. — What is said of Franklin's paper? 
— Why did Increase Mather oppose it? — When did war break out again ? — 
By whom was the first attack in this war made ? — Against what fortress was 
an expedition sent ? 

4* 



42 COLONIAL HISTORY 

The famous English preacher, George Whitfield, was in New 
England at this time, and his eloquence made a deep impression 
upon the soldiers. ^'Nothing is to be despaired of with 
' ■ Christ for a leader," were the encouraging words he spoke 
to the little army, as they set out upon their bold enterprise. A 
fleet of one hundred vessels of the size then in use, bore them to 
the island of Cape Breton, and on the 10th of May, they came 
in sight of the fortress. Before reaching Cape Breton, however, 
they were joined by the English commodore Warren. The com- 
bined troops now numbered four thousand men. 

The high wall rose before them, defended by 107 cannon, and 

surrounded by a ditch eighty feet wide. In the harbor was an 

island, also well defended by a gun-battery. The New Englanders 

had but twenty-one pieces, but with these they succeeded in 

driving the French from their batteries. In order to bring the 

cannon to bear upon the town, the assailants were obliged to drag 

them through boggy morasses : this they did with great toil and 

difficulty, but never despairing of success. At length, after a 

siege of nearly fifty days, Louisburg surrendered to this 

^^^ brave colonial army. They returned to Boston, and were 

^jaI received with transports of joy. The capture of this 

strong fortress from the French, was the greatest event 

of this war in America. It was closed by a peace, in 1748. 

This peace, however, lasted only a few years. In 1754, war 
again broke out in America. Early in this war, and in fact, be- 
fore the Acadians were aware that hostilities existed, a colonist 
^^_ force appeared before the French fortresses on the Aca- 
dian Isthmus, and demanded their surrender. Unable to 
offer defence, the French yielded, and thus all Nova Scotia passed 
into the hands of the English. 

The French inhabitants of Acadia were an industrious, simple- 

Who engaged in this expedition, and by whom was it commaudcd ? — How 
largo a fleet had they? — Describe the position of Louisburg. — Relate the 
exertions of the besiegers. — How long did the siege last, and how did it end? 
— When did the war end? — When was war renewed in America? — What 
forts taken from the French in the beginning of this war ? — Describe the 
French inhabitants of Acadia. 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 43 

hearted race, loving France as their mother country, and knowing 
little or nothing of the laws and government of England. When, 
by the treaty of Utrecht, their country became an English pro- 
vince, they could not so readily become English subjects. They 
could not change their French language, religion, habits, and at- 
tachments, and they shrank from an oath of allegiance to England, 
which would oblige them to fight against their fellow-countrymen. 
Such an oath was now required of them, and their boats and fire- 
arms were taken from them, " under pretence'' that they mighi 
rise in behalf of France, or convey provisions to the French army 
during the war. The Acadians quietly surrendered the means, 
both of escape and defence, but pleaded against taking the oath. 
In consequence of this unwillingness, the English king, George 
II., adopted the harsh measure of exterminating this peaceful 
colony. The execution of this order was committed to the New 
England soldiers, and was made yet more cruel by the suddenness 
and deceit used in carrying it out. 

In one of the Acadian districts, for example, the fathers, hus- 
bands, and brothers, were ordered to assemble, on a certain day, 
in the church, to listen to a royal proclamation. Suspecting no 
evil, they obeyed. The doors were guarded, and they found them- 
selves prisoners, brought there to listen to an order from the 
English king, which was to banish them forever from their 
country. Not allowed to return to their homes, they were carried, 
guarded, to the sea-shore, and there joined by their wives and 
children. 

It was autumn when this cruel work began, and December came 
before it was entirely finished. In the confusion of embarking, 
families were separated, and the vessels bore members of the same 
household to different colonies. The advertisements in the colo- 
nial newspapers told, for a long time, of many a bereaved and 
sorrowing heart. Seven thousand of these suffering people were 

Why could they not readily become English subjects ? — What was required 
of them? — To what did they object, and what did they yield? — What was 
done with them? — How was the cruelty of this order increased? — What ex- 
ample is given of the cruelties committed ? — Describe the scene of their em- 
barkation. 



44 COLONIALHISTORY 

distributed among the colonies, from Maine to Georgia. To pre- 
vent every liope of return, their homesteads were burned, their 
fields and orchards laid waste, their homes utterly desolated. 

During this French and Indian war, bodies of New England 
troops distinguished themselves by various brave exploits, and 
among the volunteers we find Israel Putnam, Seth Pomeroy, John • 
Stark, and other names, afterwards well known in the war of In- 
dependence. On one occasion, during a skirmish near Lake 
George, Putnam was captured by the Indians, tied to a forest tree, 
and fire was kindled around him. From this fearful peril he was 
rescued by a French oflficer and carried into captivity, but ex- 
changed for some French prisoners, a few monthis afterwards. 

Very little was gained by the English in America during the 
first few years of the war,, owing to the activity of the French, 
and the want of skill on the part of the English ofiicers who 
were sent to command in America. At length, in the year 1757, 
William Pitt, a wise and able statesman, was placed at the head 
of afi'airs in England. By his just regard for the colonies, he 
won their affection, and they cordially united in aiding his plans 
for the conquest of the French possessions in America. One of 
the expeditions resolved on, was the capture of Quebec, a strongly 
fortified town on the St. Lawrence, in Lower Canada. 
^^ This enterprise was full of difficulties: the navigation 

of the river was unsafe. The northern bank, for thirteen 
miles, was defended by cannon, batteries, armed boats, and en- 
trenchments: the watchful and practised eye of the Indian guarded 
against surprises, and the citadel of Quebec itself, although de- 
fended only by a small number of men, was one of the strongest 
fortresses in the world. But the enterprise was undertaken by the 
brave General Wolfe. For two months, his fleet and army occu- 
pied Point Levi, the southern bank of the St. Lawrence, watching 

Where were they distributed? — How was their return prevented ? — What 
soldiers distinguished themselves in this war ? — Relate the danger and escape 
of Putnam. — Why were the English unsuccessful during the first years of this 
-vvar ? — How did Pitt treat the colonies ?— What great expedition was planned? 
— Describe its difficulties. — Who commanded this expedition ? — How, and 
whore, w<;ro the first two months spent? 



OP NEW ENGLAND 



45 



in vain for an opportunity of surprising the French. In the 
meantime his army was not idle : the cannon destroyed the lower 
town, and a daring but unsuccessful attack was made on the 
French entrenchments. The capture of the town, however, seemed 
hopeless, as long as no nearer point of attack could be found. 



''^■sjj 




View of Quebec. 

At length Wolfe discovered a little cove just above the city, 
from which a steep, and narrow path led up to the heights of 
Abraham. This was the name given to a high plain, stretching 
north from the town. He saw that these heights were but 
slenderly guarded, and knew that if he could only get a sufficient 
number of men up that steep path, he could make himself 
master of the town. It was a desperate attempt, but he deter- 
mined to make it. He sent Captain Cook (afterwards the cele- 
brated navigator) with some ships, below the town, to deceive the 
French, by pretending that an attack was intend ed at that point . 

What discovery encouraged Wolfe to attempt the attack on Quebec ?— How 
did ho divert the attention of the French from his designs ? 



46 COLONIAL HISTORY 

Then on the night of the 12th September, in boats with 
muffled oars, they rowed quietly up the river. '' As he passed 
from ship to ship, he spoke to those in the boat with him, of the 
poet Gray,'' whose " Elegy in a Country Churchyard," had just been 
published j " I," said he, " would prefer being the author of that 
p.iem, to the glory of beating the French to-morrow ;'' and while 
the oars struck the river, as it rippled in the silence of the night 
air, under the flowing tide, he repeated :* 

"The boast of heraldry, the poaip of power, 
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, 
Await alike the inevitable hour; 
The paths of glory lead but to the grave." 

The boats arrived safely at the cove, the men sprang ashore, and 
aided by the roots and boughs of trees, clambered up the steep, 
and by day-break, were assembled on the heights of Abraham. 

General Montcalm, the French commander, could 
q * scarcely credit his senses, when he found the English 
-JO I bad gained this favorable position. Hastily his army was 
mustered, and by ten o'clock, the battle was begun. The 
Etifdish won it, but with the loss of the brave General Wolfe : 
he died in the moment of victory. Hearing the shouts, '' They 
fly ! they fly !" he asked, '' Who fly V " The French,'' was the 
answer. " Now God be praised," exclaimed the dying soldier, 
<^ I die happy." General Montcalm was also mortally wounded, 
and when told that he could live but a few houi-s, replied, " So 
much the better; I shall not live to see the surrender of 
Quebec." 

This important conquest did much towards finishing the war. 

The following year George III. ascended the throne 

of England, and in 1763 the peace of Paris was signed. 

By this treaty, France gave up to England nearly all her pos- 
sessions in America, and thus, gloriously for the English, ended 

When and how was the attempt made ?— Of what poem did Wolfe speak? — 
Repeat the lines he quoted.— Who commanded the French. — What was the 
result of the battle ?— Repeat the dying words of both Generals.— When was 
peace made ? — What did England gain by this peace ? 

* Bancroft. 



O F N E W E N G L A N D . 47 

'' the old French War/' or the French and Indian war, as it is 
sometimes called. 



Now that we have brought the history of New England nearly 
to the time when it united with the other colonies in the war of 
Independence, let us glance at its general progress up to that 
time. 

1st. In religion and morality. The exclusive and unkind spirit 
which had marked some of the early Puritans, had passed away : 
they had grown in "love one towards another." The old South 
Church was built in 1669, and before the Revolution there were 
eight or ten religious societies in the town of Boston alone, 
and among them, Quakers and Baptists. King's Chapel, the 
first Episcopal Church, was built in 1686. Much regard was 
paid to a learned and pious ministry ; and in the early days of 
Connecticut, it was said, that every town within its limits " had a 
scholar to its minister.'* Laws concerning the moral conduct of 
the people were very strict throughout New England, and per- 
sons were often punished io those days, for that which now would 
be considered as no offence. No man was allowed to keep a 
tavern, who was not highly respected in the community, and the 
owner of property. The names of those who were reputed 
drunkards were posted up in the ale-houses, and the keeper for- 
bidden to sell them liquor. An old English writer says of New 
England, " As Ireland will not brook venomous beasts, so will 
not that land vile livers." 

2d. In education and knowledge. Near the New England 
Church, invariably stood the common school. The colleges also 
were well cared for : from the first. Harvard had been the pride 
of New England. Sometimes the value of a bushel of corn was 

How had the religious spirit of the Puritans improved? — Prior to the War 
of Independence, how many religious societies were there in Boston? — Whnt 
churches had been built, and when ? — What is said of the mini.sters in Con- 
necticut? — What is said of the tavern-keepers of New England ? — How were 
the drunkards treated? — How was Harvard College regarded in New 
England ? 



48 COLONIAL HISTORY 

sent as a present, and the income of a ferry was bestowed for its 
support. It had friends, too, in England. Archbishop Usher, 
and the good llichard Baxter, sent out valuable donations of 
books. And it well repaid their care, by sending forth some of 
the most distinguished men of our country. 

Yale, too, had arisen amid the beautiful elms of New Haven. 
This institution owes its birth to ten worthy ftirmers, who, in 1700, 
assembled at Branford, and each one, laying a few volumes on the 
table, said : ^' I give these books for the founding of a College in 
this colony.''* New Haven was the place afterwards chosen for 
its location, and it was called Yale, in honor of Elihu Yale, a 
gentleman who gave a large sum of money for its support. Bishop 
Berkeley also made to this college a noble contribution of one 
thousand volumes and the rent of a farm; Sir Isaac Newton, 
the celebrated astronomer. Sir B. Steele, and others, contributed 800 
volumes, which were sent out by the colonial agent. When Yale 
was founded, there were but twenty-eight towns in Connecticut, 
and the colony was not known to the best English geographers. 

The art of printing had been brought to Boston, but very few 
books were allowed to be printed in the colonies. In 1704, ap- 
peared the first newspaper, called the "Boston News-Letter." 
This was two years before the birth of Benjamin Franklin. The 
first paper-mill erected in Massachusetts was established in 1728, 
and engaged, after the third year of its operation, to turn out five 
hundred reams yearly. 

Mines of iron-ore had3een discovered as early as 1712, on the 
western borders of Connecticut ; and an iron furnace was built in 
the neighborhood of Salisbury, as early as 1740. 

As early as 1690, the fisheries of Nantucket were established, 

Name the friends of the college in England, and what they did for it. — 
When was Yale planted, and to whom does it owe its origin ? — After whom was 
it named; and what celebrated men befriended it? — What is said of Connec- 
ticut at this time ? — When was the first newspaper, and when the first paper- 
mill, established in the colony? — What mineral ore was discovered in Con- 
necticut, and when ? — Where was an iron furnace established ? — What towns 
in Massachusetts were early engaged in the fisheries ? 

* Bancroft. 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 49 

and when the Revolutionary war broke out, Nantucket had one 
hundred and fifty vessels and twenty-two hundred men, engaged 
in whaling voyages. In 1766, Marblehead had forty vessels em- 
ployed in the foreign fishing trade. 

New England agriculture difi'ered greatly from that to which 
the colonists had been accustomed in England. They were un- 
used to the long winters of their new country : the soil was more 
rugged, and the productions were many of them new. The maize, 
or Indian corn, the golden squash, and pumpkin, articles of food 
now so well known, not only in our own but in other lands, were 
then strange dishes, borrowed from their Indian neighbors. By 
degrees, however, these articles took the place of more familiar 
vegetables in the gardens and on the tables of the Puritans. The 
potato, a native of South America, was introduced into New 
Hampshire in 1719, but they were rare in the colonies as late as 
1740. 

The following is the list of dishes at a New England dinner, 
given on the 22d December, 1769 ; being the first celebration of 
the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers. The dinner hour was at 
half-past 2 o'clock : the dishes, " one baked whortleberry pudding, 
two dishes of succatash, clams, oysters, and cod-fish; venison, 
roasted by the first jack brought to the colony, sea-fowl, frost-fish, 
and eels; an apple pie, a course of cranberry tarts, and cheese 
made in the old colony.'' 

How many vessels and men did Nantucket employ? — What difficulties did 
the New Englanders meet with as farmers? — What vegetables were new to 
them? — When were potatoes brought to New England? — Repeat the bill of 
fare of a New England public dinner, in 1769. 



Review Questions. — Describe the attack on Deerfield, and relate the story 
of Eunice Williams. — What conquests made by the colonists during Queen 
Anne's war? — What were the terms of the treaty of Utrecht ? — What can 
you say of New England between the years 1714 and 1744? — Describe the 
expedition to Louisburg. — The attack on the town, and its results. 

Relate the history of the Acadians. — What colonial officers distinguished 
themselves during the old French war? — Relate the history of the attack on 
Quebec. — When, and by what, was the war ended ? — What is said of the re- 
ligion and morality of the colonies at the period of the Revolution? — What of 
their progress in education ? — What of their fisheries ? — Their agriculture ? 
5 D 



50 COLONIAL HISTORY 



CHAPTER V. 

MIDDLE STATES. 

"Great God! we thank thee for this home — 
This bounteous birth-land of the free; 
Where wanderers from afar may come, 
And breathe the air of liberty!" 

Pabodie. 

At the time of the early settlement of America, Europe was in 
a very sad and unhappy condition. Nearly all the nations were 
at war with each other, and it is painful to think, that some of 
these wars were on account of differences in religion; — the 
Roman Catholic sovereigns warring with, or persecut- 
ing their Protestant subjects, and, what was worse, Pro- 
^^ testants at times persecuting each other. During one of 

the wars of Louis XIV., his General Turenne, looking 
from a church-tower in the Palatinate, saw thirty towns and 
villages in flames, and the wretched inhabitants flying in terror. 

The wars of this monarch, carried misery into all the countries 
of Europe. Hundreds, to escape these horrors, fled from the shores 
of the Baltic, and the banks of the Danube and the Rhine, and with 
the persecuted English Quaker, and French Huguenot, found a 
refuge on the peaceful banks of the Hudson and the Delaware. 
It is pleasant to think that amid such times of violence and 
wrong in Europe, our own beautiful country offered a home to the 
outcast, and to those "persecuted for conscience' sake.'^ 

Henry Hudson, an English navigator, was sent out by 
* a company of Dutch merchants, to seek a north-west pas- 
sage to India. 

Describe the condition of Europe at the tirao of the early settlements in 
America. — What wars were then raging? — What induced numbers to leave 
Europe ? — From what parts of Europe did they come ? — Where did they find 
a refuge in America ?— When did Henry Hudson first visit New York ? 



OF TUE MIDDLE STATE 



51 



Whilst exploring the eastern coast of America for this object, 
in September 1609, he passed throupth the Narrows, and entered 
what is now called the Bay of New York. 




Hendrick Hudson sailing np the River Hudson. 



1609. 



He sailed up the river which now bears his name ; his 
little ship the " Half-moon," being the first European sail 
ever borne upon its waters. The Indian in his birch canoe came 
with wonder and admiration, to welcome the daring stranger. On 
the banks of this beautiful river, now so full of life, and studded 
with fair towns and villages, Hudson found only an unbroken 
forest. He sailed as far as the place where Albany now stands. 
In October he returned to Europe, and described the land he had 
discovered as '' the most beautiful'' in the world. 

Describe his voyage up the Hudson. — What did he report of the country 
JO. Europe ? 



52 COLONIAL HISTORY 

No regular attempt at settlement was made until fifteen years 
after. In 1624, the Dutch purchased from the Indians, the '^ island 
of Manhattan," consisting of twenty-two thousand acres, for 
Ucenty-four dollars. It was called New Amsterdam, and con- 
tained a few Dutch cottages, with straw roofs and wooden chim- 
neys. It is now the large and wealthy city of New York. 

All the country claimed by the Dutch was called New Nether- 
lands. To encourage people to settle, the government promised^ 
that whoever, within four years, would plant there a colony of 
fifty souls, should possess a tract of land sixteen miles in length, 
nnd as wide as they required, with the right of governing all who 
settled upon it. These owners were called patroons, or Lords of 
the Manor. The little colonies thus planted along the 
banks of the Hudson, were not very prosperous; their 
land was claimed by their English neighbors on the East, and by 
the Swedes, who had settled on Delaware river on the South. 
Their third governor brought a still worse evil upon them, by in- 
volving them in an Indian war. 

The Dutch had excited the evil passions of the savages 
by selling them liquor; and had robbed and ill-treated 
them until they were roused to revenge. The son of an Indian 
chief had slain a Hollander, and Governor Kieft demanded that 
the murderer should be given up. This the river-chieftains re- 
fused ; but before the matter was settled, a fiercer tribe dwelling 
near Albany threatened war on the Indians of ^Manhattan, and 
the latter came in terror to beg the protection of the Dutch. 
Governor Kieft, taking advantage of their helpless condition, 
ordered a general massacre. But " the wickedness of the wicked 
is visited upon their own head." Every Indian sought revenge 
in midnight surprise and murder; not a village or "bgwery" was 
safe, and many of the colonists fled to Holland. For two years 
this dreadful war lasted ; then both parties tired of the miseries 

When and for how much money was Manhattan island purchased ? — 
Describe the early appearance of the settlement made upon it. — What was 
the country named ? — What inducements were offered to settlers ? — Why did 
not the early Dutch settlements prosper? — What brought on an Indian war, 
and when did it occur ? — Describe its miseries. 



OF THE MIDDLE STATES. 53 

which it brought, concluded a peace. The cruel Governor Kieft 
was sent home, but the vessel iu which he sailed, was wrecked oa 
the coast of Wales, and the guilty man perished in the waters. 

The time of greatest prosperity to the Dutch settle- 
ments on the Hudson, was during the early days of 
Governor Stuyvesant, who succeeded Governor Kieft. Stuyve- 
saut preserved peace with the Indians ', gained by conquest, the 
Swedish settlements on the Delaware ; and encouraged commerce, 
agriculture and building, so that, in a few years, New Amsterdam 
could almost rival Boston. "New York was always a city of 
the world/^ Even in these early days its settlers consisted of 
the persecuted Protestants of Europe. The Huguenots of France, 
Waldenses of Italy, the Calvinists of Switzerland, Bohemia and 
the Rhine, and the afflicted Jew, all, were welcomed to a free 
and happy home in the little island of Manhattan. 

Many New Englanders had settled among the Dutch, and had 
even planted whole towns in New Netherlands. They brought 
with them the real New England love of government within 
themselves;" and this desire, increased too by the unwise oppres- 
sions of the Dutch government in Holland, was fully shared by 
the inhabitants on the Hudson. Governor Stuyvesant refused the 
people any share in the government, nor did he see the 
folly of this refusal until an English fleet was within the 
harbor, demanding the surrender of the town. 

The King of England, Charles II., had granted the province 
of New Netherlands to his brother the Duke of York, who had 
sent out this fleet under Colonel Nichols to secure his new colony. 
When the ships arrived in the bay, the people of New Amsterdam, 
hoping to enjoy moire freedom under English rule, determined to 
surrender their town. Governor Stuyvesant held out as long as 
he could, and refused to sign the articles of surrender, until the 
place was actually in the enemy's hands. Thus in 1G64, New 

How, and when, was the war ended ? — What becanae of Governor Kieft ? — 
What did Governor Stuyvesant do for the Dutch settlements on the Hudson ? 
— Describe the population of New Netherlands. — Into whose hands did the 
Dutch settlements fall in 1664? — What induced the Dutch to give up their 
town ? 

5* 



54 COLONIAL HISTORY 

Netherlands became an English province. The name of New 
Amsterdam was changed to New York, in honor of the king's 
brother the Duke of York ; and the name of Albany was given to 
the little settlement on the Hudson, which the Dutch had called 
Fort Orange. 

The inhabitants of New York were very much dis- 
appointed on finding their change of government did not 
-irjA bring with it the blessings they had hoped. King 
Charles II. was as little disposed to let them make their 
own laws, and have their own assemblies, as the Dutch govern- 
ment had been. So strong was the feeling of disappointment, that 
nine years after, when Holland was successful against England, 
and a Dutch fleet appeared in New York harbor, the inhabitants 
again gave up their town to its former masters. They called it 
New Orange, in honor of a celebrated Dutch patriot, William 
Prince of Orange. This state of things, however, lasted but 
fifteen months. In 1674, New York was restored to the English, 
and remained in their possession until the time of the Revolution. 
The English governors of New York oppressed the people, and 
it was not until 1683, that (acting under the advice of the good 
William Penn), the Duke of York, who owned the province, per- 
mitted them to hold a free assembly, in which they might make 
their own laws. When the Duke of York became king, he tried 
to take away this privilege, but the people had drawn up their 
'^ charter of liberties,'' and, like the New Englanders, were re- 
solved to defend it. 

By the end of the first century of their settlement, the 
■^^^ inhabitants of New York had planted villages along the 
banks of the Hudson, and made a few settlements on the Mohawk; 
but west of Schenectady, the country was a wilderness, occupied 
by the Iroquois race of Indians. The Onondagas, Oayugas, Mo- 

What did the English name it? — Were the Dutch people of Ngav York 
satisfied with the change of rulers ? — How did they show their feelings a few 
years after? — When and how was this state of affairs changed? — How did 
the English governors rule New York?— When were they permitted to hold 
their own assembly, and what did they do? — With what Indian tribes did the 
colonists form jiUiances? 



OF THE MIDDLE STATES. 55 

hawkSj Oneidas, and Senecas, belonged to this race. In 1713, 
they were joined by the Tuscaroras, making a confederacy, usually 
known as ''the Six Nations." The English were enabled to ob- 
tain the friendship of these tribes. In the good providence of 
God, the Six Nations thus became the powerful protectors of the 
English against the hostilities of the French in Canada, and the 
St. Regis and St. Francis Indians, in the northern part of the State. 

Still, during the French and Indian wars, cruel deeds were 
committed in New York. In 1690, a party of French and In- 
dians fell, at midnight, upon the defenceless and unsuspecting 
village of Schenectady. Sixty of the inhabitants were massacred, 
and others fled, half clad, through the winter-cold of that dreadful 
night to Albany. Many perished before they could reach a place 
of safety. 

At the close of King William's war, the Earl of Bellamont 
was sent from England to govern New York. He 
endeavored to put down piracy, which, at that time, was 
disturbing commerce on every ocean. For this purpose, he sent 
out a brave and bold seaman. Captain William Kidd, with orders 
to capture all vessels he might meet with engaged as pirates. 
Kidd, being a man of no principle, was tempted, by hopes of 
plunder, to turn pirate himself. He became as daring and reck- 
less as those whom he was sent to punish. By robbing merchant 
vessels, and murdering the crews, he is said to have obtained large 
sums of gold and treasures. Much of this he is reported to have 
buried on Long Island, and in other parts of the country. At 
the end of a few years, this daring pirate was seized, and sent to 
England, where he suffered death for his crimes. 

On the approach of the old French war, which, it will -.^r ^ 
be remembered, grew out of the disputes between France 
and England concerning their possessions in America, a Congress 
assembled at Albany. There representatives met, from every 
colony north of the Potomac ; chiefs from the Six Nations came 

Of what advantage was the friendship of these Indians? — Describe the 
attack on Schenectady, and tell when it occurred. — What did Earl Bellamont 
endeavor to put down ? — Relate the history of Captain Kidd. — Where was a 
Congress assembled in 1754 ? 



56 COLONIALHISTORY 

also. At this Congress, Benjamin Franklin presented a plan of 
an American Union, and Hendrick, the great Mohawk warrior, 
urged its acceptance, in the poetical language of the Indian : "We 
thank you," said he, " for renewing and brightening the covenant 
chain. We will take this belt to Onondaga, where our council-fire 
always burns, and keep it so securely, that neither the thunderbolt 
nor the lightning shall break it. Strengthen yourselves, and 
bring as many as you can into this covenant chain." This plan 
of union was not carried out then, but the idea thus born was 
kept alive in the hearts of the American people, and Franklin 
lived to hear his country called " The United States of America.'^ 
During the "old French war," the settlements and 
forts in New York suffered terribly. Oswego, on the 
south-eastern shore of Lake Ontario, was taken by an army of 
French and Indians, under Montcalm. Often the beautiful waters 
of Lakes Champlain and George were stained with blood, and the 
quiet of their hills made to re-echo the war-whoop of the savage. 
For the first four years of the contest, the French, under their 
daring General Montcalm, were successful : they captured from 
the English, Forts Crown Point and Ticonderoga, on Lake Cham- 
plain, and many other places; but when, in 1759, Mr. Pitt came 
to be at the head of afi"airs, and had the planning of the American 
war, the tide of conquest turned. The English General Amherst 
occupied Crown Point ; Niagara was retaken ; and after the fall 
-.wpo 0^ Quebec, the peace of Paris was made, which restored 
^' to the English all the country in America for which 
France had been contending. 

The history of New York, after the French war, is only the 
history of a struggle between the royal governors and the people. 
The governors gave the colonists as few privileges as possible, and 
the colonists resisted and petitioned against their injustice : things 
were in this state, when, in 1765, parliament passed the Stamp Act. 

Who came to it, and what was proposed to them? — Repeat the words of 
the Mohawk chieftain. — Name some of the places which were attacked in 
New York during the old French war ? — When did this war end ? — What is 
the history of New York from this time to the passage of the Stump Act ? 



OP THE MIDDLE STATES. 57 



NEW JEKSEY. 

The country sonth of the Hudson was visited by the Dutch, 
as early as the year 1623, and formed a portion of their province 
of New Netherlands. When, in 1664, this province fell into the 
hands of the English, it was divided into two parts, and given 
to Lords Berkeley and Carteret. It was named New Jersey, in 
honor of Carteret, who had been governor of the little island of 
Jersey, in the English channel. Elizabethtown, which then con- 
sisted of a " cluster of four houses," was named after Lady Eliza- 
beth Carteret, and became the capital of the province. Newark 
was settled by New England Puritans, who, as well as the Dutch, 
founded towns and villages on Raritan River and Bay. At Perth- 
Amboy, was the beautiful residence of the governor. 

At the end of ten years, Lord Berkeley sold his share 
of the province. West New Jersey, to the Friends, a large 
number of whom emigrated from England the next year. The 
spot where they landed, they named Salem, for it seemed to them 
a haven of peace from the persecutions they had suffered in the 
old world. During the following years, large numbers of Friends 
came to this new province : they purchased lands of the Indians, 
who, gathering around them, " under the shades of the Burlington 
forests," thus expressed their kind welcome and desire of peace : — 

^' You are brothers," said the Sachems, " and we will 
live like brothers with you. We will have a broad path 
for you and us to walk in. If an Englishman fall asleep in this 
path, the Indian shall pass him by and say : ^ He is an English- 
man; he is asleep; let him alone.'' The path shall be plain; there 
$hall not be in it a stump to hurt the feet." This happily founded 
province enjoyed for many years a wise and good government. 

By whom was New Jersey first visited ? — When did it fall into possession 
cf the English? — To whom was it then given, and how was it divided? — 
After whom was New Jersey, and after whom was Elizabethtown, named ? — 
What other settlements were made in New Jersey? — Into whose hands did 
West New Jersey fall in 1674 ? — How did these people treat the Indians ? — 
Describe the interview between them. 



58 COLONIAL HISTORY 

East New Jersey also fell into possession of the Friends, 
being purchased in 1682 by twelve of that Society. Its 
population, however, consisted chiefly of New England Puritans, 
and Scotch Presbyterians; the latter fleeing in large numbers 
from persecution in their own country. This was a religious 
persecution, carried on against them by Kings Charles and James 
11., because the Scotch refused to receive Episcopacy as their form 
of religion. The Presbyterians of Scotland were hunted, tortured, 
and executed ; some were banished, and large numbers fled into 
exile. During these years of suffering. East Jersey received 
thousands of these banished people. 

Here they found a peaceful and happy home. *^ Peaches and 
vines grew wild on the river-sides ; the woods were crimsoned 
with strawberries; and ' brave oysters' abounded along the shores."* 
They established free schools, and were an industrious people. In 
a few years, one of their number could say, that in all the borders 
of the colony, " there is not a poor body, or one that wants." 
^ These happy days of New Jersey lasted until the year 

1702, when the Quaker proprietors gave up their rights 
to the crown, and Queen Anne united the two provinces into one, 
and sent over a royal governor, Lord Cornbury, to rule it. 

From this time, until the War of Independence, there is little 
of interest in the history of New Jersey. 

When was East Jersey purchased by the Friends? — Describe its popula- 
tion. — What led the Scotch Presbyterians to New Jersey ? — Describe th» 
products of New Jersey, and the prosperity of the colony. — When did New 
Jersey become a Royal province ? 

Review Questions. — Describe the state of Europe at the opening of th© 
17th century. — Where did the oppressed find refuge? — Relate Hudson's dis- 
covery of New York. — What difficulties and hostilities did the early Dutch 
settlers encounter ? — What is said of New York under Stuyvesant's administra. 
tion ? — When did New York pass into the hands of the English, and whal 
of their government? — What of New York during the French and Indian 
wars? — What of the Congress at Albany, in 1754? — What of New York 
during the old French war ? 

By whom was New Jersey first claimed ? — Into whose possession did it fall 
in 1664, and what can you say of its early settlement? — IIow were the Indians 
treated by the Friends ? — What other settlers came to New Jersey ? — What is 
eaid of the prosperity of the colony ? — When did it become a Royal province ? 

* Bancroft. 



OF THE MIDDLE STATES. .59 



CHAPTER VI. 

PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE. 

" The only treaty framed in Christian love, 
Without a single oath." 

Bernard Barton. 

Pennsylvania was intended, from the first, to be an asylum 
for the persecuted English Friends. 

The Friends or Quakers, as they are frequently called, were the 
followers of George Fox, and founded their first Society 
in England, about the year 1650. Believing that a "di- ' ' 
vine light" is granted to every being, George Fox taught that 
"all human interference in matters of religion" was wrong, and 
boldly proclaimed that " God was come to teach His people Him- 
self" Regarding religious worship as purely spiritual, they would 
have no humanly ordained ministry, and gave up the Rites 
of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They practised the utmost 
simplicity in dress and language, avoiding, as much as possible, 
the use of titles, and generally addressing others by the appella- 
tion of Friend. 

Their firmness in holding these practices, brought upon them 
persecution, even to imprisonment and torture, until God raised 
up for them a deliverer in William Penn, and a home in his colony 
of Pennsylvania. 

"William Penn was the only son of an English admiral. When 
a student at Oxford, at the early age of seventeen, he became in- 
terested in the doctrines of the Society of Friends. This displeased 

For what was Pennsylvania intended ? — Who were the Friends or Quakers ? 
— What were their doctrines on the subject of religious worship? — Mention 
some of their practices. — What were they called to suflFer, and who was raised 
up as a deliverer ? — Who was William Penn ? — Where was he educated, and 
In what did he become interested ? 



60 COLONIAL HISTORY 

his father, who treated him severely, hut afterwards forgave bim, 
and sent him to travel on the continent of Europe. He remained 
abroad two years, and then returned to London, witb a mind im- 
proved by study and travel. There he became a student of law, 
at Lincoln's Inn. He was in London during the time of the 
dreadful plague of 1665, and his benevolent heart suffered much' 
in sympathy with the distress around him. 

William Penn was at this time twenty-two years of 
age : he was handsome, gay, accomplished, and possessed 
a mind well stored with the learning of France and England. 
His father was high in favor at court. Possessing such brilliant 
worldly prospects, William Penn yet sought for ''■ that peace which 
the world cannot give." In Ireland, whither he had been sent on 
business by his father, he went to Friends' meeting, and there be- 
came so impressed by the preaching of Thomas Loe, the Quaker 
minister, that he made his Christian profession as a member of 
that Society. 

This step led to much suffering. His father turned 
him out of doors, and it was a mother's love only that 
1678. ^^'^^^ ^ii^ frotti severe poverty. The firmness and gen- 
tleness of William Penn afterwards, gained for him the 
admiration and entire forgiveness of his father. During the fol- 
lowing three years, Penn was three times thrown into prison on 
account of his religion. On his release from imprisonment, he 
travelled again in Europe, visiting Holland and Germany, dis- 
tributing tracts, and preaching to the people. Keturning to Eng- 
land, he found the condition of the Friends as suffering as ever, 
and being unable to save them from persecution, and seeing no 
hope for them in England, he determined to try " the Holy Ex- 
periment,'' as he calls it, of founding a free and happy home for 
them in the New World. 

William Penn's father had died some years before, leaving 

How did his father treat him at first ? — What effect had his travels upon 
William Penn? — At what period was he in London, and how engaged? — 
Describe Pcnn*s appearance and prospects at this time. — What circumstance 
led to his becoming a Friend? — Relate his sufferings on this account? — 
Where, and for what purpose, did P«uu determine to plant a colony? 



OF THE MIDDLE STATES. 61 

to his son a claim on the government for sixteen thou- 
sand pounds. William Penn now petitioned the king to 
pay him this debt, not in money, but by granting him a tract of 
land on the western bank of the Delaware river. This petition was 
granted, and Penn gave to his new plantation the name of Penn- 
sylvania, or the woods of Penn, in honor of his father the Admiral. 
He was soon the owner and governor of a large colony. He de- 
termined, however, by the grace of God, not to abuse his power, 
but to rule his people, or rather, help them to rule themselves, in 
the fear of the Lord. 

The year before Penn himself was able to join the colony, he 
sent out a number of emigrants, and with them a description of 
the town which he would have them found. He had no love for 
crowded cities, shutting out the pure air and light of heaven ; and 
believing with the poet, that 

" God made the country, and man made the town," 
he determined that his Philadelphia, his ^^ City of Brotherly 
Love,'' should be a ^' faire greene country towne.'' His instruc- 
tions were not very faithfully carried out then, and by succeeding 
generations they have been almost wholly unheeded. And yet, 
Washington, Franklin, Logan, Kittenhouse, and Penn Squares, 
may serve to keep fresh in our memories the benevolent design 
of the good Quaker of Philadelphia. 

In November, of the year 1682, Penn himself came to 
America, in the ship "Welcome.'' He was warmly 
greeted at Chester, by the Friends from the north of England, who 
had preceded him. With a few companions, he is said to have 
visited the spot where Philadelphia now stands, and there, late in 
the autumn, he made his famous treaty with the Indians. They 
met under the large elm tree at Shackamaxon, and beneath its 
shadow made their first covenant, simple in words, and yet 
stronger in deed and in truth, than many confirmed by an oath. 

For what did William Penn apply in 1681, and with what success ? — What 
did he name his colony, and how did he desire to rule it? — What directions 
did he send for the founding of a town in the colony? — What still exists in 
Philadelphia to remind one of William Penn ? — When did William Penn come 
to Pennsylvania ? — Where did he meet the Indians ? 

6 



G2 



C L N' I A L HISTORY 




Penn'fl Treaty with the Indians. 

" We meet," said William Penn, " on the broad pathway of 
good faith, and good will; I will not call you children, for parents 
sometimes chide their children too severely ; nor brothers only ; for 
brothers differ. The friendship between me and you I will not 
compare to a chain ; for that the rains might rust, or the falling 
tree might break. We are the same as if one man's body were 
to be divided into two parts; we are all one flesh and blood." 

Repeat hia words to them. 



OF THE MIDDLE STATES. 63 

And the Indians replied : ^^ We will live in love with "William 
Penn and his children, as long as the moon and the sun shall en- 
dure/^ Such was the treaty of peace between the English Friend 
and the red man of the forest, and " not a drop of Quaker blood 
was ever shed by an Indian/' 

Early in 1683, the city of Philadelphia was marked 
out on the neck of land between the Delaware and the '^* 

Schuylkill. Penn purchased the land from the Swedes, who for more 
than forty years had held a few settlements on the banks of the Dela- 
ware. In March, there assembled on this spot, a little Congress 
of representatives of the people whom Penn governed, to draw 
up a charter of liberties. This was ninety-three years before 
representatives from all the colonies met in the same city, to sign 
and proclaim the Declaration of Independence. In the sum- 
mer of 1683, there were but four cottages in Philadelphia ; the 
deer and the rabbit were bounding where now are its most crowded 
streets. A few rods from the Delaware, stretched a dark forest. 
At the end of two years, there were six hundred houses, several 
schools, and a printing establishment. 

Some difficulties arose between William Penn and Lord Balti- 
more, the proprietary of Maryland, concerning the boundaries of 
their provinces. No very serious quarrel grew out of them, but 
the boundary remained unsettled until the year 1761, when 
Messrs. Mason and Dixon drew their famous line, which is now 
regarded as dividing the slave-holding States from the non-slave- 
holding, or northern States. 

In 1684, Penn returned to England, leaving his colony 
in a flourishing condition. There he remained fifteen 
years. At times he was in favor at Court, and pleaded with such suc- 
cess for his brethren, that King James 11. released twelve hundred of 

What dkl the Indians reply? — Of whom else did Penn purchase the land 
on which Philadelphia was founded? — How long had the Swedes' settlement? 
existed on the Delaware? — When was Philadelphia marked out? — What as- 
sembled there the following year? — What is said of the rapid progress of 
Philadelphia in two years? — What difficulties occurred between Penn and 
Lord Baltimore ? — When were these difficulties finally settled ? — Wb«n did 
Penn return to England, and how was he occupied there ? 



64 COLONIAL HISTORY 

them from prison. He was, on the accession of King William III., 
three times arrested and brought to trial. At length, after many 
delays, and much sorrow and suffering, he again visited Pennsyl- 
vania. For a short time, during his absence, Penn's colony had 
been subjected to a royal governor; but he had found little com- 
fort in trying to rule a people so bent on ruling themselves, and 
at the end of two years had returned to England. 

Although William Penn was the sole proprietor of his province, 
he left the government entirely to the people, so that the colony 
of Pennsylvania was a democracy. The people supported the 
governor ; the people elected many of the officers, and in their 
assembly they made their own laws. There were no forts; no 
army, and a for a long time no militia. 

Penn returned to England, never again to revisit the 
colony he had so happily planted; but his heart and his 
prayers were still with it, and it prospered greatly. 

In 1723, little more than twenty years after Penn's 
last visit, there landed in the city of Philadelphia, a poor, 
weary, hungry boy : he came in a row-boat from Burlington, but 
had walked thither nearly all the distance from New York. He 
was a runaway apprentice from Boston, and was now seeking em- 
ployment for bread. He found it in a printing-office : honest, 
industrious, and talented, he soon set up for himself, and was 
chosen by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, to be their printer. 
Soon, he became the owner and editor of a paper, and its articles 
on the necessity of union against all enemies, stirred the spirit of 
many an American patriot. He became a philosopher, celebrated 
for his discoveries in electricity, and the invention of the lightning- 
rod. He was a patriot, and was sent by the colonies to plead 
their cause in England. He became a statesman, and before his 
death, the poor printer's boy stood in the courts of kings, there to 

What happened in Pennsylvania during his absence? — IIow was Pennsyl- 
vania ruled ? — When did Penn finally return to England ? — Who landed in. 
Philadelphia in 1723, and where did he come from ? — What business did he 
engage in, and with what success ? — What is said of his newspaper ? — What 
is said of him as a philosopher, and as a patriot? — What privilege did he 
enjoy before his death ? 



OF THE MIDDLE STATES. 65 

proclaim and defend those principles of freedom, which had been 
in his heart ever since he had helped his brother to print the 
^'New England Courant." Need it be said that this is the story 
of Dr. Benjamin Franklin ? 

By the year 1747, the Indians on the western borders 
of Pennsylvania had become so hostile, that it was found 
necessary to raise an armed force. By the advice of Franklin, 
about one hundred and twenty companies of militia were raised, 
of which, Philadelphia provided ten companies, each containing 
one hundred men. These hostile Indians were not the tribes with 
whom Penn had made his treaty, but others, with whom the early 
Quaker settlers had never met. 

The Friends felt that their measures for self-defence were 
proper, but during the French and Indian wars, their colony was 
less troubled than any other in America. During the " old French 
war," the Delawares ravaged the villages on the Lehigh river, and 
threatened the whole colony. A band of three hundred armed 
men, conducted by the brave Captain Hugh Mercer, surprised the 
Indians, near their village of Kittaning. Raising a dreadful 
war-whoop, they fled to the village, set it on fire, and perished 
amid the flames of their own wigwams, to escape being made 
prisoners by the English. 



DELAWARE. 

Between the years 1623 and 1G31, the Dutch visited Dela- 
ware Bay, and during the latter year, a feeble settlement was 
planted near the present site of Lewistown. The Dutch, however, 
were not to be the settlers of this little colony. In the year 1626, 
the brave Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, determined to 

Who was this person? — What preparations were made to repel the hostili- 
ties of the Indians? — Who were those hostile Indians? — What occurred at 
Kittaning during the "old French war? — By whom was Delaware first 
visited? — What king formed the design of planting a colony there? 
6* E 



66 COLONIAL HISTORY 

send some of his subjects from the wars and tumults of their own 
country, to found a peaceful colony in America. He fell on the 
battle-field of Lutzen, before his plan could be carried out. When 
his little daughter Christiana succeeded to the throne, her wise 
and good minister, Oxenstiern, accomplished the noble purpose 
which Gustavus had formed. In 1638, he sent out a 
^ ' little colony of fifty men to Delaware Bay. They built 
Christiana, and named it after fheir young queen. Delaware be- 
longed to the Swedes for nearly twenty years, when, in 1654, 
Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor of New York, became jealous of 
this Swedish colony, and claimed the country as a part of New 
Netherlands. He seized upon it, and for a few years Delaware 
became a Dutch province, although its inhabitants were Swedes. 
The Swedish settlements extended along the banks of the Dela- 
ware river and bay, as high up as Trenton. 

In 1664, it shared the fortunes of the rest of New 
Netherlands, and became, with New York and New Jersey, 
an English province. In 1681, when King Charles II. granted 
to Penn his colony of Pennsylvania, the Duke of York still 
claimed the " three lower counties,'^ now forming the State of 
Delaware. To prevent disturbances, William Penn purchased 
these counties, and Delaware was united to Pennsylvania. In 
1703, it became a separate province. 



Very different from the New England Puritans, were the class 
of exiles who sought freedom from religious persecution in the 
Middle States. They were generally Protestants, but of such 
varying creeds and nations, that a different spirit prevailed from 
that which showed itself in New England; and throughout their 
colonies, we find numerous differing religious societies growing up 

What prevented his carrying out the design, and who accomplished it? — 
Where did the Swedes settle? — Into whose hands did these settlements fall 
in 1664? — Of whose province did it form a part in 1681? — When was it 
finally separated from Pennsylvania? — How did tho colonists of the Middle 
States differ from the Now England Puritans ? 



OF THE MIDDLE STATES. 67 

aide by side. The Dutch had built their first church as early as 
1642, and named it St. Nicholas, in honor of the patron saint of 
Holland. In it was placed the town-bell, which regulated business 
hours, and all were obedient to its summons. Their pastors were 
called Dominies, and their salaries were often paid in a species of 
money manufactured from sea-shells, and called wampum. Much 
of this wampum was made in New York, from shells found on 
Long Island. Ministers were also paid in produce : the Dominie 
of Albany received one hundred and fifty beavers. When New 
York passed into the hands of the English, various denominations 
erected churches. Old Trinity arose in 1696, and in 1702 we 
find its Rector had opened a school for the instruction of negroes. 

In New Jersey, the number of churches founded in the early 
days of the colony is very remarkable. Of the Presbyterian 
church in Newark, the Rev. Aaron Burr was pastor in 1736. He 
was a son-in-law of President Edwards, and father of the cele- 
brated Aaron Burr. The Rev. Thomas Thomson, pastor of the 
little town of Shrewsbury, in the year 1751, impelled by love to 
the heathen, went forth as a missionary, to western Africa. 

In the mixed population, and among the tolerant Quakers of 
Pennsylvania, every form of religion flourished. In Philadelphia 
alone, the Friends had three meetings established before the war ; 
that founded in 1684 being the first. The Episcopalians, Presby- 
terians, Baptists, and others, had also several churches. Christ 
church was founded in 1695 : in 1754, the church obtained a 
chime of bells from England : they were brought free of freight, 
and to honor the generosity of the captain, the chimes sent forth 
a merry peal whenever his vessel entered port. They rang too 
the night before market-days, a custom which is still continued. 
A church had been founded on the banks of the Delaware even 

Describe the first Dutch church in New York. — AVhat were the Dutch minis- 
ters called, and how were they paid ? — What other churches were built in New 
York at an early date ? — What is said of the churches in New Jersey ? — Who 
was pastor of the church in Newark, and what is said of the Rev. Thomas 
Thomson? — What is said of religious denominations in Pennsylvania? — 
When was the first Friends' meeting established? — What is said of Christ 
church in Philadelphia? 



68 COLONIAL HISTORY 

before the landing of William Penn. It was the old Swedes' 
church, built in 1677 : in 1700, the small wooden structure was 
replaced by a neat stone church, which still remains a relic of the 
olden time. In 1739, Whitfield preached in the open air in 
Philadelphia, to a congregation of 15,000 people. 

In the colonies, morality was the handmaid of religion. In 
all, severe laws were passed against late hours, drunkenness, pro- 
fanity, and Sabbath-breaking. In New York, tavern-keepers were 
not allowed to give suppers after 9 o'clock at night. In New 
Jersey, a man was fined five shillings for drunkenness, and if the 
offence was repeated, he was put in the stocks. 

The school-learning and the schools of colonial times, were very 
simple, but our ancestors were faithful to their privileges, and few 
idle hours were passed in the Colleges of New York, New Jersey, 
or Pennsylvania, or in those humbler schools, which were kept in 
every town. Although printing had been early introduced, books 
were rare and highly prized. Kings (now Columbia) College, was 
founded in New York, in 1754, and other schools there were in 
town. Some were kept by Dutch masters, where our grandmo- 
thers were taught to read English^ as an accomplishment. The 
College of New Jersey was founded at Elizabethtown, in 1746, 
thence removed to Newark, and finally, in 1757, to Princeton. In 
this College is still preserved the Orrery invented by Dr. Ritten- 
house in 1768. It was a beautiful instrument, and very won- 
derful for those early days of astronomy. A gentleman writing 
of it in 1790, says : " There is not the like in Europe." 

In Pennsylvania, the first school was commenced as early as 
1683, and its master proposed to teach reading, writing, and 
casting accounts, for eight English shillings a year. In the coun- 
try-places of Pennsylvania, schools were opened even before the 
foundation of the College in Philadelphia j such was the " Log 

What can you say of the old Swedes' church, and of Whitfield? — How was 
morality preserved in the middle colonics ? — Give instances from the laws of 
fsew York and New Jersey. — When was Columbia College founded ? — What 
schools were there in New York ? — When, and where, was Princeton Col- 
lege founded ? — Where was it finally established ? — What curious instrument 
Is still preserved there ? — Describe the first school established in Pennsylvania. 
— What other schools are named ? 



OP THE MIDDLE STATES. 69 

College" in Bucks county, and such the village school in Chester 
county, where studied pupils, whose talents in future years did no 
little honor to their faithful instructors. The University of Penn- 
sylvania was begun in 1750, by the exertions of Dr. Franklin, 
who purchased the building originally intended as a meeting-house 
for Whitfield. In the little colony of Delaware, at Lewistown, 
was established a girls' school, supposed to be the first in the 
colonies. 

Owing to English laws of trade, which were very oppressive 
upon the colonies, their commerce and manufactures never flour- 
ished to any great extent. This was especially true of manufac- 
tures; their commerce was somewhat more profitable. It was 
chiefly confined to the coasting and West India trade, though vessels 
occasionally found their way to England, and even to Spain, Portugal, 
and the Canary Islands, exporting furs, lumber, fish, and tobacco. 
The Dutch, in their little vessels with their very grand names, such 
as, " Queen Esther," " King Solomon," and " The Angel Gabriel," 
made quite respectable voyages for those early days. In Penn- 
sylvania, ship-building was carried on to a great extent, and her 
busy population engaged in various pursuits of industry. They 
were good farmers, and attempted the cultivation of vineyards and 
silk, with some success. 

On the coast of New Jersey, and in Delaware Bay, whale, and 
other fisheries, were carried on. Newark was celebrated for its 
cider as early as 1682. In 1728 there were four iron furnaces 
in Pennsylvania, but her rich treasures of coal remained undis- 
covered until the present century. The perils of the wilderness 
surrounded the early colonies. Dark forests, the abode of bears, 
wolves, and other wild animals, stretched between their settle- 
ments, and the means of communication were not easy. The 

When, and by whose exertions, was the University of Pennsylvania founded ? 
• — Why did not commerce and manufactures flourish in the colonies ? — Men- 
tion the extent of some of the trading voyages of the colonists. — What is said 
of the commerce of New York ? — Mention the objects of industry which en- 
gaged the population of Pennsylvania. — What is said of fisheries ? — What 
of the working of iron in Pennsylvania. 



70 COLONIAL HISTORY 

roads were few and bad, and travelling, in consequence, difficult, 
and carried on at a very slow rate. In 1772, a stage, called " The 
Flying Machine," is advertised to go through from Philadelphia 
to New York, in the (then) remarkably short time of two days. 

The Middle States were peopled from so many different nations, 
that we cannot expect to find much uniformity in their tastes, cus- 
toms, and modes of living, excepting that these were more simple 
than those of the present day. One exception may perhaps be 
made in favor of our style of dress, which is more natural, at 
least, if not less expensive, than the powdered and cushioned hair, 
huge wigs, stiff brocades, and cumbrous hoops, of our ancestors. 

Although New York was under Dutch rule but forty years, yet 
the Dutch population was always numerous, and has left many a 
pleasant memento of the days of New Amsterdam. Such are the 
old-fashioned "stoops" or porches, where households gathered 
of an afternoon, and the capacious chimney-places, ornamented 
with scripture scenes, in the china Dutch tile, still to be seen in 
some of the old country-houses on Long Island. We owe to 
them, too, the dough-nut, the cruller, and the New- Year's cooky 
of our tea-tables, and many a pleasant custom. The May-day 
" moving time" is a relic of our Dutch ancestors, as well as the 
Christmas visit of Santa-Clauf?, the colored eggs at Easter (Paus), and 
the friendly New-Year's-day visiting. Of the latter, Gen. "Wash- 
ington is said to have remarked : " The highly favored situation 
of New York will, in process of years, attract emigrants, who 
will gradually change its ancient customs and manners ; but what- 
ever changes take place, never forget the cordial, cheerful obser- 
vance of New-Year's-day." 

Furniture and equipages in old colonial days were extremely 
simple. Carpets were scarcely known before 1750, and were rare 
then ; the white-sanded floor was the pride of a house-keeper. 

Penn's Manor, at Pennsbury, on the banks of the Delaware, 

What is said of the difficulties of travelling in colonial times ? — What was 
the style of dress of our ancestors? — Mention some usages which still remain 
as relics of the Dutch settlers of New York. — Repeat Gen. Washington's re- 
mark about New-Year's-day visiting. — What is said of furniture in these 
early times ? — Describe the situation of Penn's Manor at Pennsbury. 



OP THE MIDDLE STATES. 71 

Was quite a stately mansion for those early days. A broad avenue 
of poplars led up to the house^ which was built of stone, and sur- 
rounded by beautiful gardens and lawns. 

In its large hall, which ran the whole length of the house, 
strangers were entertained, and not unfrequently Indian guests 
were welcomed at the hospitable hall of the benevolent Friend. 

The furniture of this hall consisted simply of six chairs, two 
forms, and a long table, with pewter plates and dishes, and vessels 
called cisterns, containing water or beer. In a smaller hall, were 
six leathern chairs, and five maps. 

The best parlor was furnished with two tables, a couch, cane 
chairs, and cushions of satin and green plush. In another parlor 
was placed the great leathern chair of the proprietor, and a clock. 

The upper chambers could only boast good beds, chairs, and 
tables. The high-backed chairs, and the spider-legged tables, were 
made of oak or dark walnut. The table furniture was perhaps 
more elegant. We hear of blue and white china, silver-plate, 
and damask table-linen. 

Such was the simple style in which was furnished the most ele- 
gant mansion of those days, in the colony of Pennsylvania. In 
later times, more of luxury was known. In a letter, written by 
Mrs. Franklin to her husband, in 1765, she speaks of a papered 
room, horse-hair chairs, a side-board, and three carpets. 

What is said of the great hall and its furniture? — Describe the furniture 
of the parlors and other rooms? — Of what was the furniture made, and what 
is isaid of the table furniture ? — Recite from Mrs. Franklin's letter. 



Review Questions. — Who were the Friends or Quakers? — Relate the 
early history of William Penn. — When was a colony granted to him? 

What can you say of his designs for settling it? — What of Penn's treaty 
with the Indians ? — What of the progress of his colony ? 

Relate the story of Franklin. — What of Pennsylvania during the "old 
F.rcnch war ?" 

By whom was Delaware settled? — What of its further history ? 

What can you say of churches in New York, prior to the revolution ? — In 
New Jersey ? — In Pennsylvania ? 

"What of the early schools of the colonies? — Of those in Pennsylvania? — 
What of their trade and. manufactures ? 

What of their industry, and the condition of the country? — What customs 
have the Dutch handed down to us ? — What of Penn's Manor on the Delaware 



72 COLONIAL HISTORY 



CHAPTER VII. 

SOUTHERN STATES 

" Far southward in that sunny clime, 
Where bright magnolias bloom, 
And the oi-ange with the lime-tree vies, 
In shedding rich perfume." 

James. 

We have now come to the history of the southern colonies, so 
different in climate, productions, and institutions, from those about 
which we have been studying. 

These, with Delaware, lie south of Mason and Dixon's line, 
and in them slavery exists. It will be well to learn, therefore, 
how the negro slave came to be brought to our country. 

At the time of the discovery of America, which was made by 
a mariner in the service of Spain, that country was engaged in a 
war with the Moors, a people at that time living in the south of 
Spain, but afterwards driven across to Morocco and the northern 
parts of Africa. All the Moors whom the Spaniards took captive 
were made slaves, and when the war was carried into Africa, they 
brought home, not only Moorish slaves, but negroes, or black 
Moors, as the Spaniards called them. 

When, on the discovery of America, the West India Islands 
came to be settled by the Spanish, they took thither their Moorish 
and a few of their black Moor slaves. Thus was the negro first 
brought by the Spaniards to America : but the labor in the islands 
was for several years chiefly performed by the enslaved native 

In what particulars do the southern States differ from those of the north ? — 
In what States does slavery exist ? — When America was discovered by the 
Spaniards, with what people were they at war? — How did the Spaniards 
obtain negro slaves? — By whom was the labor in the West Indies at first 
performed ? 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 73 

Indian. At length, in the year 1517, Las Casas, a benevolent 
and good man, feeling deeply for the suflPerings of the Indian, 
whose habits and love of freedom made it dreadful for him to be 
a slave, and seeing how much better the native of Africa could 
endure toiling under the tropical sun, proposed that negroes should 
be brought to the West Indies. Las Casas, in his earnest desiro 
to spare the Indian, little thought he was arousing a spirit of^ 
avarice which would inflict cruel wrong on the poor African. 
Charles Y. of Spain gave permission for four thousand negroes 
to be carried to the West Indies annually, for slaves. 

England did not engage in the slave-trade until the year 1567, 
when Admiral Sir John Hawkins brought a cargo of slaves, and 
sold them in the West Indies, for such an amount of sugar, ginger, 
and pearls, that Queen Elizabeth, in an evil hour, gave her sanc- 
tion to the traffic. No slaves were actually brought into any 
English colony in America, until the year 1620. The 
year that the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, twenty ^ ' 
negroes were brought by a Dutch vessel into James river, Vir- 
ginia, and sold as slaves to the English colonists. 

The colonists, from Maine to Georgia, disliked the slave-trade, 
and for a long time discouraged it, but it was profitable to the 
English merchants, especially to a company of them known as 
" The Royal African Company," and so the colonies were obliged 
to receive the slave. The negro thrives best in a warm climate ; 
it is, therefore, in the south alone, that slavery, which originally 
existed in all the colonies, has taken such a hold, and continued 
so long, that the removal of the evil, though much to be desired, 
has become, year by year, a question of greater difficulty. 

Who proposed importing negroes for slaves, and with what design ? — Wai 
this productive of good? —How was the proposition acted upon ? — When did 
England first engage in the slave-trade ? — When, and where, were slaves first 
brought into an English colony ? — Did the colonists like the slave-trade ? -« 
Why is slavery confined to the south ? 

7 



74 



COLONIAL HISTORY 




P«^S 



Lord Baltimore deceiving the Charter from the King. 



MARYLAND. 



The territory now occupied by the State of Maryland was at 
first considered a part of Virginia. In the year 1681, a Virginia 
trader, William Clayborne, had established a settlement on Kent 
Island, in Chesapeake Bay. In the following year, however, 
King Charles I. granted the unoccupied lands, lying on the Bay, 
to George Calvert Lord Baltimore, who resolved to plant a colony. 
He drew up a charter, which, although he was himself a Ro- 

Who founded the first settlement in Maryland ? — To whom was the colony 
afterwards prranted ? 



OP THE SOUTHERN STATES. 76 

man Catholic^ granted entire religious freedom to all Christian 
people. 

By the grant made to Lord Baltimore, the new colony 
was to be, as it were, a little independent kingdom, of 
which the proprietary was sole monarch. It was the only colony 
in which the king promised, by the charter he granted, not to in- 
terfere. He was not to tax them, nor to appoint their officers, 
nor disturb the colonists in any manner. Lord Baltimore was 
only required to express his fealty to the king of England, by 
paying him yearly a tribute of two Indian arrows and a fifth of 
all gold or silver ore which might be found. 

Lord Baltimore died before he had entered into possession of 
his colony. His son, Cecil Calvert, inherited, with his title and 
honors, the noble and liberal views of his father. He did not 
come to America himself, but sent out his brother, Leonard Cal- 
vert, with the first colonists. 

In March, of the year 1634, two vessels, "The Ark,'* 
and " The Dove," anchored in the waters of Chesapeake 
Bay : on board of them were the first settlers of Maryland ; 
chiefly Roman Catholic gentlemen, with their families and house- 
holds. They entered the Potomac river, and landed at a little 
Indian village, which they named St. Mary's. They took posses- 
sion of the country in the name of Christ and of England, and 
called it Maryland, in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria. 

Lord Baltimore did everything for the freedom and happiness 
of his colony, but disturbances were excited by William Clay- 
borne, who, on account of his early settlement at Kent Island, 
claimed the colony, and refused to submit to Lord Baltimore. 
His claim being refused by the King of England, Clayborne re- 
turned to Maryland, determined on revenge. He raised a party 
against Lord Baltimore and the governor whom he had 
appointed, and was so successful that the governor was 
obliged to flee into Virginia, and remain there two years. 

Mention the liberal terms of the charter. — Did Lord Baltimore himself tako 
possession of Maryland? — Who was sent out after his death? — When, and 
■where, was the first settlement made, and who were the colonists? — Who 
created disturbances in the colony, and on what ground ? — What of his success? 



76 COLONIAL HISTORY 

These disturbances continued for many years. 

In 1654, when Cromwell and the Puritans were in 

power, Clayborne succeeded in rousing the feelings of the 
Protestants against the Roman Catholics to such an extent, that, 
forgettiog the gratitude which was due to the founders of the 
colony, they passed an act, declaring that Roman Catholics were 
not entitled to protection from the laws of Maryland. At length, 
in 1691, King William III. put an end to these disturbances in 
this colony, by making it a royal province, and establishing the 
church of England. In 1694 the old Roman Catholic capital of 
St. Mary's was deserted, and the Assembly met at Annapolis. 

Maryland continued under royal governors until 

a descendant of Lord Baltimore becoming a Protestant, 
the colony was given to him, with very nearly the same privi- 
leges as those bestowed on his ancestor, the first Lord Baltimore. 
The Assembly of the people consisted of four members from each 
county and two from Annapolis. In each county, persons were 
appointed to establish schools and provide suitable teachers. 

What happened in 1654? — What injustice was committed ? — When, and 
by whom, was Maryland made a royal province? — What town became the 
capital ? — When was Maryland restored to Lord Baltimore ? 



Review Questions. — Relate the means by which negroes were first brought 
to Spain, and thence to America ? — How did negroes come to be employed as 
slaves in the West Indies ? 

When, and by what act, was slavery introduced into an English colony ? — 
How was slavery regarded in the colonies, and why has it continued at the 
south ? 

Under what charter was Maryland founded? — What can you say of the 
proprietary of Maryland ? 

What troubles disturbed this province, and what was done with it in 1691 ? 
— When was it restored to the proprietary, and under what circumstances ? 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 77 



CHAPTER VIII, 



VIRGINIA 



"All hail ! thou birth-place of the glowing West, 
Thou seem'st the towering eagle's ruined nest." 

J. K. Pauldino. 

On the southern bank of the James river, in Virginia, stands 
ths ruin of an old church : its crumbling tower and broken arch 
are almost hidden by the shrubbery and tangled vines which cover 
it. Within the walls of the churchyard, may be found a few very 
old tombstones, overgrown with ivy and long grass. And this is 
all that remains of the first English settlement in America ; — 
the colony of Jamestown. 

The planting of this first colony was owing to the efi'orts of a 
very remarkable man, Captain John Smith, whose strange adven- 
tures have made him one of the most interesting characters in the 
history of America. 

John Smith was born in Lincolnshire, England, in the year 
1559. At the age of thirteen, he sold his school-books and 
satchel, in hopes of getting money enough to go to sea. In this 
he was disappointed, and he did not leave England until he was 
fifteen. He then went to Holland and France, where he studied 
the art of war. At the early age of seventeen years, he began 
his adventures. He was sailing in a small vessel in the Mediter- 
ranean sea, when a storm arose. The crew were Roman Catholics 
and very superstitious, and because Smith was a Protestant, they 
thought that he was the cause of the storm, and, like Jonah 
of old, he was cast into the sea. Being a good swimmer, 

Describe the ruins of Jamestown. — Who planted the first colony in Vir- 
ginia ? — When, and where, was John Smith born ? — What did he wish to do 
at the age of thirteen? — When did he leave England? — What was his first 
adventure ? 

7* 



78 COLONIAL HISTORY 

he reached St. Mary's, a little island, in safety, and from thence 
sailed in a French vessel to Egypt. His next adventure was in 
Austria : he joined the Austrian army, which was then fighting 
the Turks, and had command given him of a company of horse, 
which was known as the " Fiery Dragoons." During the siege 
of a town, a Turkish oflScer, "to amuse the ladies," offered to 
engage in single fight with any Christian soldier in the Austrian 
army. Smith was chosen, and he soon conquered the Turk, and 
cut ofif his head. He fought with two other chiefs, named Mulgro 
and Grualgo, with the same success, but shortly after, in 
a skirmish with the Turks, he was severely wounded and 
taken prisoner. He was now sold as a slave, and the pacha who 
bought him afterwards presented him to a lady in Constantinople. 
This Turkish lady pitied his misfortunes and youth, and sent him 
to her brother in the Crimea, a peninsula in the Black Sea, with 
orders that he should be kindly treated. These orders were not 
obeyed. Smith suffered so much from the harshness of his new 
muster, that one day, when alone in the field together, he fought 
with and slew him. Seizing a horse, he escaped " through forest- 
paths/' to Austria. He then determined to return " to his own 
sweet country,'' but hearing of wars in Morocco in Africa, he was 
tempted thither in search of new adventures. He visited the 
Canary Islands, and was in a naval battle between the French 
and Spaniards. At last, he returned to his native England, and 
reached it at the time when the Jamestown colonists were about 
to embark for America. To Smith's daring and roving temper, 
the idea of a New World for strange adventures and exploits, was 
irresistible, and he joined the colonists. 

These Virginia settlers were sent out by a company of " no- 
blemen, gentlemen, and merchants, residing in and about London," 

What army did he join, and with whom were they at war ? — How did Smith 
distinguish himself in combats with the Turks? — What befell him in 1602? 
— Where was he sent by his Turkish mistress, and with what directions? — 
How was Smith treated by his new master, and what finally did he do? — 
Where did he next go ? — What determined Smith to come to America ? — By 
whom were the Virginia colonists sent out ? 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. Y9 

and called the London Company. The colonists left 
England in a little fleet, consisting only of three vessels, -ipAP 
and bearing one hundred and five passengers. The 
country for which they embarked was a wilderness, where forests 
were to be cleared and houses to be built, and yet of their number 
only twelve were laborers. They brought with them no " charter 
of liberties,'^ no "right of government within themselves," no- 
thing which might cheer them with hope, amid the trials of plant- 
ing a new home in the savage wilds of America. They were to 
be governed by a council of the merchant-company in England : 
men who cared more to make themselves rich, than to make the 
colonists happy. A few men, not chosen by the colonists, but 
named by the council at home, were to govern them in all lesser 
affairs, which did not require directions from England. The 
names of these men and their instructions, were carefully laid 
away in a sealed box, which was not to be opened until they 
reached Virginia ; therefore, when jealous feelings and disorders 
sprang up, there was no one on board who had a right to check 
them, by taking the government of the others upon himself. 

Captain Christopher Newport, who commanded the vessel, not 
knowing a more direct route to America, pursued the old passage, 
southward, to the Canary Isles, thence to the West Indies, -innj 
Turning north, they were driven by a storm into Chesa- 
peake Bay. They called the headlands between which they en- 
tered the Bay, Capes Henry and Charles, in honor of the young 
princes of England. To Old Point Comfort they gave its name 
because of the deep water for anchorage which they found there j 
and sailing up the James river, they named it in honor 
of their king. On the 23d of May, 1607, after a weary J^J^ r 
and distressing voyage, they landed and commenced the 
settlement of Jamestown. 

In a few weeks, the condition of the colonists was most de- 
plorable. They were surrounded by hostile Indians, with but few 

What were their prospects in America ? — How were they to be governed? 
— What occasioned difficulty during the voyage ? — Describe their route.— 
When, and where, did they land, and what did they name the spot ? — What 
was soon the condition of the colony ? 



80 COLONIAL HISTORY 

hardy men to cultivate the soil, or build them houses ; the pro- 
visions which they had brought from England were consumed ; 
and disease arose from the intolerable heat of summer and the 
dampness of the climate. During the warm months, fifty of their 
number died. Then, too, some of the more idle colonists, mis- 
taking some shining particles for precious gold, began to dig and 
load their vessel with the worthless dust. Thus they neglected 
that labor on which a blessing might have rested, and gave them- 
selves up to that which proved a root of evil. 

With autumn, came abundance of game and wild water- 
fowl, which saved the poor remnant of fifty emigrants 
from starvation. 

Captain John Smith, who, although treated unkindly by the 
colonists, had been their best friend during the time of suflFering, 
now took advantage of their improved condition to leave them 
and explore the country. He sailed up the Chickahominy river 
for fifty miles ; then, leaving the boat, with four companions he 
plunged into the wilderness. He was surrounded by a band of 
Indians, his two white companions were killed, but Smith's pre- 
sence of mind saved his life. He knew that wonders divert and 
delight the savage mind, and he now showed his captors a pocket 
compass, told them of the shape of the earth, and explained how 
*' the sun and the moon and the stars chased each other." They 
permitted him to write to Jamestown, and when they found that 
the letter he sent gave information to his friends, they were greatly 
astonished. They thought he had the power of giving to the 
paper life and intelligence; for the Indians, having no written 
language, could not imagine how a few marks on paper could com- 
municate ideas. He was carried in triumph to many of their set- 
tlements on the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, and finally 
taken to Powhatan, the great chief of the tribe, who lived on 
York river, in what is now Gloucester county, Virginia. Here, 
after three days' captivity, he was condemned to die. His arms 

What did some of the more idle colonists engage in ? — What relieved the rem- 
nant from starvation? — What befell Smith on his exploring expedition? — 
How did he divert the savages ? — Why did Smith's letter astonish the savages? 
— Where was he carried ? — To what was he condemned ? 



OF THE SOUTIlEIlN STATES. 



81 




Captain John Smith before Powhatan. 

were bound, his head was laid upon the stone, and the huge club 
of the Indian was uplifted, but, ere the blow fell, young Poca- 
hontas, the only child of Powhatan, had thrown herself between 
the prisoner and the deadly weapon. The blow could not descend 
upon her, and Smith's life was saved. The firm character of 
Smith, and, it may be, a feeling that the Great Spirit had ^^^g 
prevented their taking his life, changed the Indians from 



Describe his rescue. 



What effect had this upon the Indians ? 
P 



82 COLONIAL HISTORY 

enemies to friends. They made a treaty with him, and permitted 
him to return to Jamestown. From this time, during Smith's 
life, a friendly intercourse was kept up with the Indians, and often. 
Pocahontas, "the dearest daughter of the king,'' as the grateful 
colonists called her, brought baskets of corn and provisions to the 
garrison at Jamestown. 

Shortly after Smith's return to the colony, a new emigration 
arrived, but they were chiefly '^gentlemen and goldsmiths," and 
so taken up with the desire for gold, that no other industry was 
practised. Smith left them to their folly, and commenced another 
exploration of the country. In two voyages in an open boat, he 
sailed up to the head of Chesapeake Bay, ascended many of the 
rivers which flow into it, and surveyed the surrounding country. 
He travelled, in this way, several hundred miles, and made a 
valuable map of the country. 

On his return a second time to Jamestown, Smith was made 
president of the council. He found it a hard task to restore 
order; many were still eager about gold-digging, and all were un- 
accustomed to the patient labor of tilling the ground. Smith 
wrote to the company in England, begging them to " send but 
thirty carpenters, husbandmen, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, 
masons, and diggers-up of trees' roots, rather than a thousand" 
of such as he then had. His labors for the good of the people 
met with some success, the gentlemen became "accomplished 
wood-cutters," and during the year 1609, more industry 
* and happiness existed than had before been known in the 
colony. 

Towards the close of the year, Smith received a severe wound, 
which obliged him to return to England to be cured. On his de- 
parture, the colonists went back to their old habits of idleness, 
and were soon in great distress; their provisions of food were 

What is said of Pocahontas' kindness to the colonists? — Why did Smith 
leave the colonists again ? — Describe his explorations of the country. — What 
kind of colonists did Smith send to England for? — How wece Smith's labors 
rewarded? — When, and why, did he return to England? — What was the 
condition of the colonists on Smith's departure ? 



OP THE SOUTHERN STATES. 83 

nearly gone, and they had not cultivated sufficient ground to yield 
them a fresh supply. 

Smith was the only man whom the Indians feared, and now 
that he was gone, they ventured to show their hostility, and mur- 
dered those parties of white men who went among them in search 
of food. Some of the colonists were wicked enough, in their 
despair, to seize a ship and become pirates. The distress was in- 
creased too, in the spring, by an addition to their numbers. 

These new colonists had left England the year previ- 
ous : they had been wrecked on the islands of Bermuda : 
with great skill and industry, they had built out of the wreck and 
the timber growing on the island, two little vessels, and then sailed 
for Virginia, hoping to reach a happy and prosperous colony, where 
they should enjoy abundance. Their disappointment and distress 
was very great, when, on reaching Jamestown, they found the 
colonists in a starving condition. 

The despair of all parties was now at its height, and they de- 
termined to abandon the settlement entirely, and even wished to 
burn the town, which had been for them the scene of so much 
misery. This last act of despair Sir T. Gates prevented. Em- 
barked in four little vessels, these wretched people bade farewell 
to Jamestown. "None dropped a tear, for none had enjoyed one 
day of happiness." Slowly their little vessels fell down the river 
with the tide; they had nearly reached its mouth, when, to 
their great astonishment and delight, they met a long-boat, 
belonging to an English ship, which, laden with provisions and 
emigrants, and having on board their new governor, Lord De-La- 
Ware, had anchored in the Bay. 

The delight was now as great as their despair had been, and 
ihey celebrated the 18th of June, as the day of their happy 
restoration. 

Under Lord Delaware's wise government, order and industry 

To what crime did some of their number resort? — How was their distress 
"Ticreased? — Relate the previous adventures of these new colonists. — What 
<iid the colonists now do ? — What occurred when they reached the mouth of 
Tames river ? — What is said of their feeling on this occasion ? — What is said 
i>f Lord Delaware's administration ? 



84 COLONIAL HISTORY 

were restored, but his health soon failed, and the colonists again 
felt a season of scarcity and despondency. 

On Lord Delaware's return to England, in 1611, Sir Thomas 
Gates was sent to Virginia as governor. He brought with him 
three hundred emigrants, one hundred kine, and large stores of 
provisions. He was welcomed with delight by the colonists, and 
the grateful prayer, ^' Lord bless England, our sweet native coun- 
try," ascended daily, morning and evening, from the little church 
at Jamestown. 

Who succeeded him, and what did he bring with him? — How was he re- 
ceived in Virginia ? 



Keview Questions. — Relate the adventures of John Smith to the time of 
his joining the Jamestown colonists. — Describe the character and prospects 
of the Virginia settlers. 

Describe the voyage : mention when, and where, it ended. — Describe the 
condition of the colony at the end of the year. 

Relate Smith's adventures on his exploring expedition. — Relate his re- 
markable rescue. — Relate his exertions for the colony. — Why did he leave 
the colony, and what wag the consequence? — Describe the distress of the 
colonists in 1610, and their action in consequence. 

How were they relieved, and what was their condition under Lord Pdawar* 
and Sir T. Gates' administration ? 



OP THE SOUTHERN STATES. 85 

CHAPTER IX. 

VIRGINIA (Continued.) 

"A moment and the pageant's gonej 
The red men are no more; 
The pale-faced strangers stand alone 
Upon the river's shore. 

Paulding. 

Six years had now passed away since the English first 
came to Jamestown, and the little Indian girl Pocahontas 
had grown to womanhood. The gentle virtues which had marked 
her as a child, adorned her character now, and rendered her doubly 
dear to the heart of her father. But his affection for her was to 
receive a severe trial at the hands of the treacherous white man. A 
marauding party from the colony seized Pocahontas, and in the 
hope of obtaining a large ransom from her father, carried her off 
to Jamestown. The chieftain, enraged at this wickedness, instead 
of offering a ransom, prepared to make war. But He who brings 
good out of evil, turned away this threatened calamity. A young 
Englishman, named Bolfe, loved Pocahontas, and she consented 
to become his wife. This arrangement satisfied Powhatan, and 
he laid aside all thoughts of war. 

In the little church at Jamestown, which was kept prettily 
dressed with wild flowers, Pocahontas, before her marriage, re- 
ceived the rite of baptism. The Christian name then given her 
was liebecca. We may hope that she truly embraced the faith 
of the Lord Jesus Christ into which she was baptised. It is 
pleasant to think that this Indian girl, who practised so well the 
duties which a heathen knows, should have been taught of the 
Saviour those higher and holier virtues which it is the blessed 
privilege of His religion alone to bestow. 

What is said of the character of Pocahontas? — What evil deed was com- 
mitted towards her? — What threatened the colony in consequence? — How 
was this evil averted ? — When, and where, was she baptized ? 



86 COLONIAL HISTORY 

Three years after her marriage she accompanied her 
husband to England. She was introduced at Court and 
in the city of London, as the Lady Rebecca, and received many 
kind attentions, although it is said King James I. was jealous of 
Rolfe, fearing, "as he had married an Indian princess, he might 
lay claim to the crown of Virginia." It is also said that Smith, 
fearing this jealousy of the king, would not allow Pocahontas to 
call him " father,'^ the name she had always given him in Vir- 
ginia, and this was a cause of unhappiness to her. 

At the end of a year, as they were about returning 

to America, Pocahontas, whose health had been affected 

by the climate of England, fell ill and died. She left an only 

son, from whom many well-known families in Virginia are 

descended. 

In the year 1619, the population of the colony increased greatly. 
Large numbers of men and women came over and planted homes 
in Virginia. In this year, under Governor Yeardley, the people, 
for the first time, obtained a share in the government. At James- 
town was held the first colonial Assembly, consisting of the go- 
vernor, his council, and two representatives, called burgesses, from 
" each of the eleven boroughs" of Virginia. Two years after, the 
London Company granted to the colonists a written constitution, 
which confirmed to them a share in the government. 

- After Powhatan's death, his brother, the Chief Opechan 
canough, roused the Indians against the white settlers, 

aiid in 1622, a fearful and general massacre reduced the eighty 
settlements of the colony to six or seven. Jamestown was saved 
by the warning of a friendly Indian. A war now commenced, 
which for fourteen years kept every plantation in a state of alarm. 
At length, in 1646, peace was made : the Indians were driven 
away, and their hunting-grounds planted by the colonists. 

- In 1624, King James I. took from the London Com- 
pany their charter, and sent over a governor with twelve 

To what country did she go, and how was she received ? — What caused her 
unhappiness ? — When, and where, did she die ? — What is said of the colony 
in 1619? — What important right did they obtain ? — How did an Indian war 
commence in 1622 ? — HoW long did this war last, and what was the result ?— 
In 1624 what change took place in the government of the colony ? 



or THE SOUTHERN STATES. 87 

Councillors, appointed by himself. Neither this king nor his suc- 
cessor, Charles I., showed much consideration towards the Vir- 
ginians, notwithstanding their loyalty, ruling the colony more for 
their own profit than for the happiness of the colonists. When 
Cromwell and the Parliament were in power, the Virginians sub- 
mitted, and being allowed their own Assembly and religious tole- 
ration, the colony prospered. The people governed themselves 
wisely and well. 

When the Stuart kings were restored to the throne in 
England, the rich planters or aristocracy of Virginia 
gained much power. They were disposed to be jealous of the 
smaller land-holders, and to take from them their rightful share 
in the government.. The laws too of King Charles II. concerning 
their trade, were very oppressive. The colonists were not allowed 
to ship their merchandize excepting in English vessels, and they 
could send nothing to be sold in England which would interfere 
with manufacturers there. Their trade, too, with other colonies 
was restrained, and they were obliged to import from England 
nearly everything they used, as domestic manufacture was either 
discouraged or forbidden. 

By many acts of injustice and oppression the people became 
excited, and at last roused to rebellion. In the year 
1675, the Indians on the northern frontier became trou- 
blesome, and their invasions carried desolation and death to many 
a lonely plantation. \ The people asked for arms to defend them- 
selves : the governor refused to give them, and on this refusal, 
Nathaniel Bacon, one of their number, determined to arm himself 
against the Indians without the governor's commission. In this 
act he was joined by a body of 500 men. At first they were 
successful, and Governor Berkeley was obliged to yield to Bacon, 
and grant him a commission. But afterwards he withdrew this. 

How did James and Charles I. govern Virginia? — What was its condi- 
tion under Cromwell ? — What occurred in Virginia when Charles II. came to 
the throne ? — How was their commerce restricted ? — To what evils were 
they exposed in 1675? — What request did they make? — On the governor's 
refusal, what did one' of their number do? — How far was he successful? — 
How did the governor act afterwards ? 



88 COLONIAL HISTORY 

and wbile the brave young planter was defending the soil 
and homes of Virginia against a savage foe, the governor 
not only proclaimed him a traitor, but raised an army to oppose 
him. With a force of nearly one thousand men, Sir "VV. Berkeley 
had taken possession of Jamestown : Bacon marched against him 
and obliged him to abandon his position; he then entered the 
town, which, not being able to keep, he set on fire, to prevent its 
falling into the governor's hands. Thus Jamestown, consisting 
of eighteen houses, a State House, and the Old Church ; — the first 
home in Virginia, endeared by a thousand associations, was laid 
in ashes. The ruins of the Old Church alone mark the spot, where 
once stood the capital of the Old Dominion. 

Nathaniel Bacon was cut off in the midst of success, and 
shortly after his death, his party were subdued. Many who had 
taken up arms were punished with death. The next year, 1677, 
Sir W. Berkeley returned to England : his departure was cele- 
brated with joy by the colonists, and so severely was he censured 
in England for his cruelty, that his death, which occurred shortly 
after, is said to have been in consequence of it. 

On the suppression of the rebellion, the people of Virginia 
suffered much, for a few years, from the royal governor and 
council appointed over them : but the spirit of liberty was spread- 
ing wider and deeper, and many of those who had formerly sup- 
ported the royalists, were roused by their injustice and oppression 
to side with the people in maintaining their rights. In 1693, 
towards the close of the century, the College of William and 
Mary was founded. 

From the beginning of the 18 th century, the Virginians, as 
well as the other colonists, saw with alarm that the French, who 
already possessed Canada and Louisiana, were encroaching more 
and more on territory which the English claimed as their own. 
They had made many settlements in the West, and were making 
friends of the Indian tribes in the valley of the Ohio, and drawing 

During this struggle what befell Jamestown ? — IIow did this contest end? 
— How was the governor's conduct regarded? — What was the state of the 
colony for the next few years ? — What nation was encroaching on the terri- 
tory of Virginia? 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 89 

nearer and nearer to the western borders of Virginia and Penn- 
sylvania. To prevent this, the people of these two colonies were 
urged to settle further west, but the country was very wild, and 
it was not until the year 1732 that the first white person crossed 
the Blue Ridge and settled in the valley of Virginia. 

In that very year was born one, who, in God's providence, was 
destined, not only to drive the French from his country, but to 
place that country among the independent nations of the earth. 

The French continued their encroachments year by 
year, and at length planned a chain of forts extending 
through the western parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia to the 
Ohio, and down that river and the Mississippi to New Orleans. 
To oppose these, on the part of the English, there were only a 
few traders' homes west of the Alleghanies in Virginia, and a 
feeble settlement at Laurel Hill, in the western part of Penn- 
sylvania. 

The governor of Virginia now resolved to send a remonstrance 
to the French on the Ohio, warning them against intrusions on 
Ensjlish colonies. The mission was a difficult one, but the mes- 
senger was well chosen. George Washington, then twenty-one 
years of age, an heroic, noble youth, whose early self-denials gave 
promise of what his future life would be, was sent by Governor 
Dinwiddle on this long and perilous journey. 

Leaving Williamsburg on the last day of October, Washington, 
with four attendants, a guide, and an interpreter, started for the 
West. Their route lay through the gloomy autumn woods, across 
swollen streams, and over rugged mountains; an unbroken wil- 
derness, with no path but the trail of the Indian to guide them. 
In nine days they reached the spot where the city of Pittsburg 
now stands : Washington's quick eye saw the advantages of the 
position for a fortress to defend the Ohio, and determining to 
advise it, pushed on to the northern part of Pennsylvania, where 

What were the colonists urged to do? — Who was born in 1632? — What 
design had the French formed? — What is said of colonial settlements west 
of the Alleghanies? — What was done by the governor of Virginia? — De- 
scribe Washington's route. — What site Attracted his attention, and for what 
purpose ' 



8=^ 



90 COLONIAL HISTORY 

he met the French commander, and presented the English go- 
vernor's remonstrance. The answer which "Washington received 
was not very satisfactory, and he hastened his return to 
Virginia. The horses which they had brought on the 
journey had given out, and they were obliged to return on foot. 
"The cold increased very fast; the paths grew worse by a deep 
snow continually freezing," but "Washington, wrapping himself in 
an Indian dress, with gun in hand, and pack on his back, the day 
after Christmas quitted the usual path, and with but one com- 
panion, hurried the nearest way to the Forks of the Ohio. In 
passing through the forest, an Indian, lying in wait for him, shot 
at him but missed his aim : " on reaching the Alleghany, with 
one poor hatchet and a whole day's work, a raft was constructed 
and launched. But before they were half over the river, they 
were caught in the running ice, expecting every moment to be 
crushed, unable to reach either shore. Putting out a pole to stop 
the raft, "Washington was jerked into the deep water, and saved 
himself only by grasping at the raft-logs. They were obliged to 
make for an island :" * there they remained all night ; in the 
morning the ice had frozen, and they crossed upon it. Amid all 
these perils, the goodness of God conducted "Washington in safety. 

The refusal of the French to give up their claim to western 
Pennsylvania and Virginia, caused great alarm in the colonies, 
and preparations were made for war. An attempt was made by 
the colonists to establish themselves at the point where the three 
rivers meet, as Washington had recommended j but they were 
driven away by the French, who built a strong fort at this advan- 
tageous spot, and named it Du Quesne (Du-Kane.) 

In May of 1754, Washington was sent against the enemy, and 
his first battle was fought at a place called the Great Meadows : 

He was victorious, and in the engagement the French com- 
mander was killed. The advantage thus gained was soon lost, for 

What is said of the French commander's reply ? — Relate Washington's ad- 
ventures and perils on his return? — What effect had the conduct of tho 
French upon the colonists ? — Where did they try to build a fort, and how did 
they fail ? — Where was Washington'^ first battle fought, and with what success ? 

* Bancroft. 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 91 



■,;y4k< 





1^i£- 



Washington amid the ice of the Alleghany. 

want of n sufficient number of men to keep up the struggle; and 
by the end of the year, the French again held possession of the 
valley of the Ohio. 

In the spring of 1755, General Braddock was sent from Eng- 
land to command the army m America, and he determined to 
undertake, in person, the conquest of Fort Du Quesne. He was 
a brave man, but vain and obstinate ; and he had so false an idea 
of the colonists, as really to think that the only reason the French 
had not been driven from their posts, was want of courage and 
wisdom on the part of the provincial troops. 

He knew nothing of the wilderness-country in which he had 
come to fight, nor of the cunning Indian foe he would have to 

Who took the command in 1755, and -what enterprise did he undertake ? — 
"What was Braddock's character ? — How did he behave towards the colonists? 
— Describe the advance towards Fort Du Quesne. 



92 COLONIAL HISTORY 

encounter ; and, scorning to take the advice of Wasbington, who 
had been invited to attend him as an aid-de-carap, he prepared his 
army as for a European battle-field : useless delays prevented 
his advance, giving the French time to collect more troops, and 
"Weakening his own army by the fatigue and want of proper food. 
At length, on the 9th of July, the English army, of 
about twelve hundred men, in fine uniform and glittering 
arms, and in exactest military order, were within a few miles of 
Fort Du Quesne. Suddenly a sharp firing was heard, and the 
unfortunate army found themselves surrounded by an ambush of 
French and Indians. The English fought desperately, but were 
soon thrown into confusion, for the Indians fired upon them from 
behind trees and rocks and the hills above their heads, causing 
dreadful destruction; while Braddock's soldiers, unused to such 
warfare, and seeing no enemy, wasted their powder by firing with- 
out aim, and often in the air. 

General Braddock had three horses shot under him, and was at 
length borne from the field mortally wounded. 

The life of Washington was more than once in danger. '^An 
Indian chief singled him out with his rifle, and bade others of 
his warriors do the same. Two horses were killed under him ; 
four balls penetrated his coat."* The Indians thought some 
powerful Manitou or guardian angel protected him ; but Wash- 
ington owned and blessed the "all-powerful dispensations" of a 
Divine providence, which, while many fell at his right hand and 
on his left, had preserved him in the midst of danger. 

The few who survived this battle retreated to Fort Cumberland, 
and afterwards to Philadelphia, leaving the French in complete 
possession of the country. 

This possession they maintained until 1757-8, when the wisdom 
of Mr. Pitt, then at the head of afiairs in England, gave a 
brighter aspect to the French war in America. 

By what was Braddock's army surprised ? — Describe the battle and its re- 
sult. — What is said of Washington's peril and deliverance? — What is said 
of the retreat after this battle ? — How long did the French keep Fort Du 
Quesne ? 

* Bancroft. 



OP THE SOUTHERN STATES. 93 

In November of 1758, while General Wolfe was preparing to 
attack Quebec, Colonel Washington, with a few brave provincial 
troops, a detachment from the army of General Forbes, was ap- 
proaching Fort Du Quesne. His march was too rapid to afford 
the French a warning, and as he drew near the fort, the disheart- 
ened garrison set fire to it, and sailed down the Ohio. The colo- 
nial troops took triumphant possession, and with one voice, named 
the place Pittsburgh, in honor of the great statesman, who all his 
life long had honored and protected the interests of America. 

At the close of the year, Washington retired from the army, 
and on his marriage, which took place shortly after, he repaired 
to his home at Mount Vernon. 

Describe the attack made upon it in 1758, and the result. — In whose honor 
was it named ? 



Review Questions. — Relate the circumstances of Pocahontas' marriage, 
and her subsequent history. — What was granted to the Virginia colonists in 
1619 ? — What Indian war harassed the colonists, and for how long ? 

What was the condition of Virginia under James and Charles I. during 
Cromwell's time,_and at the restoration? — Give the history of Bacon's 
rebellion. 

Relate the encroachments of the French, and the efforts made to oppose 
them. — Describe Washington's mission, and its results. -"■ Mention the prin- 
cipal events of the old French war in Virginia. 



94 COLONIAL HISTORY 



CHAPTER X. 

THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA. 

** Our forest life was rough and rude, 
And dangers closed us round, 
But here amid the green old wood, 
Freedom was sought and found." 

Gallagher. 

As early as the year 1562, a colony of Huguenots or 
' French Protestants, had been sent out by Admiral Coligny 
to found a home, free from persecution, in the New World. Reach- 
ing the southern coast of our country, they landed on a little 
island near the southern boundary of the present State of South 
Carolina, and raising a monument engraved with the lilies of 
France, they took possession of the country, and named it Carolina, 
in honor of Charles or Carolus IX. king of France. 

This feeble colony of twenty-six souls, receiving no supplies 
from France, soon became unhappy, and determined to return to 
their native country. They built a small vessel, but neglected to 
take with them sufficient food. At sea, they endured all the 
horrors of famine ; they were captured by an English vessel, a 
few landed on the coast of France, and the remainder were carried 
to England. Thus ended the French settlement of Carolina. 

For twelve years more the country remained unvisited : at the 
end of that time, and between the years 1584 and 1590, 
* Sir Walter Raleigh, a celebrated English nobleman, sent 
out no less than four expeditions to colonize the coasts of Carolina, 
or South-Virginia, as the English at that time called the country. 
All of these attempts failed. The first voyagers returned with 
glowing accounts of the beauty of the country, the kindliness and 

When, and by whom, was the first colony brought to the Carolina coast ? — 
What became of this French colony ? — How many, and during what years, 
were colonies sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh ? — What became of the first? 



or THE SOUTHERN STATES. 95 

simple manners of the natives, and the fertility of the soil ; but 
they made no attempt at a settlement. 

The next visitors, a little colony of 108, landed at Roanoke, 
and explored the coast about Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. 
They were received kindly by the Indians, whom they " described 
as too feeble to be feared ; clothed in mantles and aprons of deer- 
skin ', having no weapons but wooden swords and bows of witch- 
hazel, with arrows of reeds; no armor but targets of bark and 
sticks wickered together with thread.'^ * 

The culture of tobacco, maize, and sweet potatoes, all new and 
strange productions to the English, excited the admiration of the 
colonists, but did not dispose them to industry. 

At the end of a year, having aroused the ill-will of the 
Indians by their unkind treatment, they grew discon- 
tented, and returned to England. Just after they had embarked, 
a third colony, with fresh provisions, landed on the island of 
Roanoke : they were disappointed in not finding the friends they 
had come to relieve, and only fifteen of the new-comers remained 
on the island : these were afterwards massacred by the Indians, 
whose enmity had been excited by the previous colonists. 

Not discouraged by the ill-success of former attempts. Sir "Wal- 
ter's last expedition proceeded to America, to found '' the city of 
Raleigh" and establish a permanent and prosperous colony. But 
the result was far difierent. Events in England prevented their 
generous benefactor from sending them supplies. When, at the 
end of two years, their governor was sent out to relieve them, he 
found " the island of Roanoke a desert," nor could any trace of 
the colony be found. They had either been killed by the Indians 
or adopted into some of their tribes. 

Thus nearly a century passed away, and Carolina was still un- 
colonized, nor did its first permanent settlers come from England. 

Where did the next colony land ? — Repeat their description of the Indians. 
— What new vegetable productions did they find ? — What became of this 
colony ? — What was the end of the third colony sent out from England ? — • 
What was the fourth colony to found? — What was the probable fato of this 
colony ? 

* Bancroft. 



96 COLONIAL HISTORY 

They were oppressed emigrants from Virginia, adventurers from 
New England, and hardy colonists from Barbadoes. These dif- 
ferent colonies settled on Albemarle sound and Cape Fear river : 
they all loved their own personal freedom, made the few laws they 
needed, and lived happily almost without government. 

But another state of afiairs was preparing for them in England. 
In the year 1663, King Charles II, had granted Carolina to seven 
courtiers, to divide, own, and govern for themselves. Among 
these, were the celebrated Earl of Clarendon, Monk, Duke of 
Albemarle, and Lord Ashley Cooper, afterwards Earl of Shaftes- 
bury. 

These noblemen divided the country into baronies and manors, 
plnnned orders of nobility, palatines, earls, and barons, and in 
imagination, drew up a splendid style of government for the few 
scattered planters on the coast of Carolina. 

The Earl of Shaftesbury employed John Locke, a celebrated 

philosopher, to draw up a constitution for the new colony. Mr. 

Locke was a wise and learned man, but he knew nothing 

io7U. ^£ ^^^ manner of thinking and living in the wilderness 

of America, and he planned his laws for a state of things which 

never did and never could exist there. Although they were very 

much praised in Europe, they met with neither acceptance nor 

success in Carolina. By this constitution the Church of England 

was established in the colony, although other forms of religion 

were tolerated. George Fox, the founder of the Society 

of Friends, visited the scattered settlements of Carolina. 

His doctrines found an entrance into many a heart, and the first 

Christian Society in the colony were the Quakers. 

In 1670, the noblemen who owned Carolina sent out three 

ships with emigrants, to form a colony. They landed, and began 

a settlement on the banks of the Ashley river. Ten 

years afterwards, the colonists removed to a point of land 

From whence came the first actual settlers of Carolina? — Where did they 
settle ? — To whom was the country granted in 1G63 ? — What was Locke em- 
ployed to do ? — Wh-at is said of his con:<titution ? — What was the first reli- 
gious Society ia Carolina? —When was old Charleston founded? 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 97 

between the Ashley and Cooper rivers. They had chosen a beau- 
tiful spot : " among ancient groves that swept down to the river's 
banks, and were covered with the yellow jasmine/' arose the first 
few cabins which founded the city of Charleston. Its loveliness 
attracted many emigrants. 

From England came alike the impoverished royalist and the 
persecuted dissenter : Scotland and Ireland sent colonies : tho 
Dutch, driven from New York, found a refuge in Carolina; but 
in greater numbers still, flocked the poor hunted Huguenots of 
France. During the year 1685, the persecution of Protes- 
tants throughout France was cruel in the extreme; they 
were even forbidden to emigrate ; but in spite of this prohibition, 
so great were their sufferings, that many fled secretly in disguise 
from their country. From the province of Languedoc, from the 
Bay of Biscay, from the valleys of the Seine, the Loire, and the 
Garonne, from every part of France, hundreds of Huguenots 
sought in Carolina a hospitable refuge, a country ^' where the fires 
of religious persecution were never to be kindled." They met a 
southern welcome; lands were given them, and they began to 
build. Their homes and plantations lay upon the banks of the 
Cooper; but their church had been built in Charleston, which had 
sprung up so prosperously at the junction of the Ashley and 
Cooper; and thither, every Sabbath, might be seen these pious 
households, making their way in light skiffs upon the river, 
through scenes so tranquil, that silence was broken only by the 
rippling of oars, and the hum of the flourishing village that 
gemmed the confluence of the rivers."* 

In both the Carolinas, industry toiled and was rewarded. The 
rice-plant had been brought from Madagascar, and throve so well, 
that the cultivators soon became rich. On the large rice planta- 
tions numbers of negroes were employed : slaves had been intro- 
duced in South Carolina the same year in which the first colony 

Describe the spot on which the new city was built. — Mention the different 
countries which sent emigrants to Carolina. — Why did the Huguenots leave 
France? — From what regions of France did they come? — How were they 
received ? — What is said of their church-going ? — What productions were 
cultivated in South Carolina ? 

* Bancroft. 
9 G 



98 COLONIAL HISTORY 

was planted. In North Carolina slaves were more slowly intro- 
duced, for rice was less cultivated. There the making of tar and 
turpentine, cutting pine boards, and hunting bears, beavers, and 
other wild animals, employed the activity of the colonists. 

Such was the country, and such the people, which the nobles 
of England thought to rule without regard either to the rights or 
happiness of their subjects. But they found it an impossible task, 
and after twenty-three years of strife the hope of establishing a 
nobility in America, was forever abandoned. 

Spain beino; at war with Ensjland, South Carolina was 

involved in war with her Spanish neighbors at St. Augus- 
tine : she succeeded, however, in defending her territory and 
keeping the Spaniards and Indians in awe. 

The Tuscaroras and Yamassces Indians ravaged the settlements 

of Carolina, burning the villages and scalping the wretched 
' inhabitants. The Yamassees were led on by the Spaniards. 

lYiK The Carolinas united for mutual defence, and headed by 

such brave leaders as Gov. Moore, Barnwell, and Craven, 
they marched into the fastnesses of the Indians, and compelled 
them to yield. The Tuscaroras emigrated to New l^'ork, and 
joined the Five Nations, and the Yamassees were received into 
Florida. 

In 1719, the people of South Carolina, tired of the 
■*^' government of the English proprietaries, petitioned to be- 

come a royal province, receiving their governor from the king of 
England, but electing their own Assemblies. For £22,500 the 
province was sold, by its owners, to the king, and in 1720 its 
first royal governor was appointed. North Carolina remained in 
the hands of the proprietaries until 1729, when it too became a 
royal province. 

The early settlers of Carolina suffered much from Indian wars. 

How were the people of North Carolina employed ? — In what hostilities 
were the Carolinas involved ? — From what Indian hostilities did they suffer ? 

— Who were sent against them, and with what success? — What became of 
these tribes ? — When, and how, did South Carolina become a royal province ? 

— When did North Carolina become one ? 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 99 

Owing to the injustice and cruelty of Lyttleton, one of 
the governors of South Carolina, the ill-will of the Che- 
rokees was aroused. Armies were sent against them, I'jQi 
three hundred of them were killed in battle, and their 
villages burned ; but for two years the frontiers of Carolina were 
exposed to all the horrors of Indian surpri&e and massacre. Among 
those who defended their country against the Indians, were Francis 
Marion, Christopher Gadsden, and Henry Laurens, whose names 
afterwards became famous in the War of Independence. 

From the close of the Cherokee war until the passage of the 
Stamp Act, Carolina, like all the other colonies, was engaged in 
defending her colonial privileges against the encroachments of 
royal governors. 



GEORGIA. 

The first colony in Georgia was founded by the benevolent 
James Oglethorpe, who, feeling for the sufferings of the thousands 
in prison under the severe laws against debtors, determined to 
found a colony for such in the land of freedom. To this colony 
were to be added those suffering under religious persecutions. 

In the same year which gave birth to George Wash- -,^09 
ington, was planned the last of the Thirteen Colonies, 
that under him were to battle for their independence. 

A charter, granted by George II., named the country between 
the Savannah and Altamaha rivers Georgia, in honor of the 
reigning king, and gave it to Mr. Oglethorpe and other gentlemen, 
" in trust for the poor." The seal of the new colony represented 
a group of silk-worms at work, with the motto, " Not for them- 

"What again roused Indian hostility ? — How long did the war last ? — Men- 
tion some of the colonial officers. — After the Cherokee war how was Carolina 
engaged? — By whom was Georgia founded, and with what design? — In 
whose honor was the colony named? — What was the device and motto of 
the colony? 



100 COLONIAL HISTORY 

selves, but for others/' This was to assure the colonists of the 
unselfish motives of the founders of Georgia. It was hoped, too, 
that the silk-worm would be reared, and the vine cultivated in the 
new colony. 

In November 1732, Oglethorpe, with his little band of emi- 
grants, sailed for America : after touching at Charleston, they 
proceeded to the mouth of the river, which divides the two States, 
and ascending it a little distance, founded at Yamacraw bluflf, the 
city of Savannah. The tent of Oglethorpe was pitched 
under four beautiful pine trees, and for one year he had 
no other home. 

The Indians received them kindly : " Here is a little present,'' 
said one of their chiefs, as he gave them a buffalo-skin, painted 
on the inside with the head and feathers of an eagle. ^'The 
feathers of the eagle are soft, signifying love ; the skin is warm, 
and is the emblem of protection : therefore, love and protect our 
little families." 

Georgia, like the other colonies, received the persecuted of other 
countries. The Moravians, a gentle, simple body of Christians, 
dwelling in Austria, were sorely persecuted " for conscience' sake," 
by the Roman Catholic powers of that country. Driven from 
their homes in Europe, they were kindly received by Oglethorpe, 
and amid the pine forests of Georgia founded happy homes, and 
enjoyed what they chiefly sought, ^'freedom to worship God." 
They named their colony Ebenezer, a Bible name, and took for 
their motto, the text " Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 

About the year 173G, Georgia was visited by John Wesley 
and his brother Charles. These good men came out as missiona- 
ries : they visited the Moravian settlement at Ebenezer, and 
greatly admired the fervent piety and simple mode of worship 
which they found there. When John Wesley returned to Eng- 
land, he founded the religious sect known as the Methodists. He 
was succeeded in his missionary labors in Georgia by George 

When, and where, was Savannah founded ? — Describe the interview between 
Oglethorpe and the Indians. — Who were the Moravians ? — How were they 
received, and where did they settle in Georgia ? — By what celebrated Chris- 
tian Ministers was Georgia visited ? 



OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



101 



Whitfield, the celebrated and eloquent preacher. His preaching 
is said to have been so wonderful, that people would assemble to 
the numbers of twenty and forty thousand in the open air, to hear 
him. He founded an orphan house at Savannah, This was sup- 
ported for a long time, by the money which his eloquence per- 
suaded people in England and America to give. Whitfield tra- 
velled through all the American colonies preaching for this object, 
and died at Newburyport, in Massachusetts. 

Besides the Moravians, Georgia had received a colony of Scotch 
Highlanders, who founded the town of Darien, on the Altumaha. 




Governor Oglethorpe visiting the Highlanders. 



Governor Oglethorpe paid them a visit, dressed in the Highland 
costume : he was warmly welcomed, and this evidence of his care 

What is said of Whitfield ? — What did he found at Savannah, and by what 
means did he procure funds for it? — What other colonists came to Georgia ? 



— Where did they settle? 
colonists ? 

9* 



What is said of Oglethorpe's visits to bis new 



102 COLONIAL HISTORY 

and interest so won upon their hearts, that they willingly aide<3 
him in all his plans for the prosperity and safety of his colony. 
He visited the Moravians also ; praised their industry and agricul- 
ture, and attached the hearts of all to him by his kind sympathy. 

During the early days of Georgia, there were no slaves in the 
colony : all the labor was performed by the white colonists. The 
Moravians felt the traffic in slaves to be sinful, and Oglethorpe 
declared, that " if negroes should be introduced into Georgia, he 
would have no further concern with the colony." 

In the year 1739, Spain and England being at war, the 
colonists of Georgia were exposed to attacks from their 
neighbors of the Spanish town of St. Augustine. Spain claimed 
the land on which the English had settled. Governor Oglethorpe 
had prepared for this danger, by securing the friendship of tribes 
of Indians for seven hundred miles around, and attaching to him 
most warmly the hearts and services of his own colonists. The 
pious Moravians were earnest in their prayers for his safety, and 
the brave Highlanders gathered round him. 

1 "10 Being appointed Commander-in-chief, he determined to 

commence hostilities by attacking St. Augustine. . In this 
attack he was unsuccessful, owing to weakness of numbers, and 
sickness among his troops ; but he managed to defend the territory 
of his colony from the Spaniards, and to maintain its boundaries. 

^ In 1742, the Spaniards entered Georgia with a large 

fleet and force : they landed at St. Simon's Island, where 

a battle was fought, in which Oglethorpe and his men were entirely 

victorious ; the Spaniards, hedged in by a morass, lost two hundred 

men, and were obliged to retreat. 

The next year. Governor Oglethorpe returned to England, never 
more to revisit his colony, but leaving behind him that character 
and those deeds, which the Bible tells us " shall be had in ever- 
lasting remembrance." 

How did the Georgians regard slavery ? — What did Oglethorpe say about 
it? — With whom were the Georgia colonists involved in war? — How had 
Oglethorpe provided against this danger ? — How did the Moravians aid him ? 
— What is said of the attack on St. Augustine? — Who invaded Georgia in 
1742 ? — What is said of the battle on St. Simon's Island ? — What is said of 
Oglethorpe's character ? 



OP THE SOUTHERN STATES. 103 

After Gen. Oglethorpe's departure, slavery was introduced into 
his colony. The Moravians yielded their consent very unwillingly, 
and gave it only because they hoped to do good to the poor Afri- 
cans, by teaching them Christianity. 

For about ten years, the colony remained in the hands -i^-^q 
of those to whom it was at first committed. It did not . 
prosper. At length, these trustees gave up their charter 1752 
to the king, and Georgia became a royal province. 

Its governor, and most of its officers were appointed by the 
king, but the people had their own Assemblies, and were jealous 
of their liberty. At the time of the old French war, the whole 
population of Georgia numbered but six thousand, about one- 
third of the present population of Savannah alone. 

There were but four or five considerable towns in the province ; 
but Georgia, although the youngest and weakest of the old Thir- 
teen, cordially united with them in the War of Independence. 

Although the southern colonies were peopled from the same 
mother countries as New England and the Middle States, yet, 
owing to the great variety in motives and character of the early 
emigrants, and to the diflFerence in climate and productions, they dif- 
fered widely in their habits and style of living from the people of 
the northern colonies. They did not settle in towns and villages, 
but lived on plantations, often scattered miles apart, and chiefly 
situated on the banks of rivers or on the shores of bays. Here 
the planters dwelt, surrounded by large households ; these con- 
sisted, at first, of apprenticed servants, sent out from England and 
sold to the planters, especially in Virginia, for a certain number 
of years. They were often prisoners, taken in the civil wars 
which occurred in England during the reigns of the Stuart kings, 
or else persons accused of crimes against the government. They 

What induced the colonists to consent to the introduction of slavery? — 
What did Georgia become in 1752? — What liberties did the colonists enjoy? 
— What is said of the population at the time of the old French war ? — What 
is said of Georgia at the time of the revolution ? — How did the early southern 
colonists differ from those at the north ? — How did they live ? — Of what did 
their households consist ? — What was the condition of these servants ? 



104 COLONIAL HISTORY 

were never bound for any great length of time, and when their 
term of service had expired, could purchase property, and become 
freemen and land-holders. After the introduction of slavery, the 
labor of the negro took the place of that of white servants, and 
at the time of the revolution nearly all the plantations were culti- 
vated by slaves. 

We have seen how the early colonists at Jamestown built them- 
selves a Church, and the first laws in Virginia ordered " a room 
or house to be set apart for God's worship, in every plantation." 
Each clergyman was to have a glebe of one hundred acres, besides 
a salary of " the best and first-gathered corn" and tobacco. Tra- 
velling was not allowed on Sunday, excepting to and from church. 
Absence from church was fined, as well as drunkenness and pro- 
fanity. Many beautiful little churches were scattered throughout 
the Virginia colony, which contained, at the revolution, fifty-four 
parishes. Of Pohick Church, near Mount Vernon, erected in 
1765, George "Washington was at one time a vestryman. 

Notwithstanding the laws of Virginia provided for the support 
of religion, they were rendered nearly inefi'ectual by the worthless 
character of many of the clergy, who were sent out to supply the 
churches. They were men whose daily life was far from recom- 
mending the religion which they were sent to preach. There 
were, it is true, exceptions to this rule, and among ministers and 
people of all denominations might be found consistent Christians; 
but these were comparatively few. 

The colony of Maryland was founded by Roman Catholics, and 
religious toleration was practised until 1692, when the Church of 
England was established, and severe laws were passed against the reli- 
gion of the planters of the colony. In the Carolinas and Georgia 
many forms of religion were to be found, although in each the 
Church of England was at one time established by law. The 
First Independent Church in Charleston had for its pastor the 

Who afterwards cultivated the plantations? — How did the first laws of Vir- 
ginia provide for religion ? — What laws were passed to enforce the keeping 
of the Sabbath and sobriety? — How many parishes were there in Virginia 
prior to the revolution ? — Mention a particular one, — What was the character 
of the clergy of Virginia? — What is said of religion in Maryland ? — In the 
Carolinas and Georgia ? 



OP THE SOUTHERN STATES. 105 

son of the celebrated Cotton Mather, of New England. In 
North Carolina, George Fox founded the Society of Friends ; and 
in Georgia, the no less celebrated founder of the Methodists, 
John Wesley, was Kector of Christ Church, Savannah. When 
slavery was introduced into Georgia, masters were obliged to send 
their negroes to church, under a penalty of five pounds. 

In western Georgia and Carolina, just before the revolution, 
the pious Scotch Covenanters had planted themselves, and among 
them were to be found many beautiful examples of piety and patri- 
otism. Their Church, in the wilderness, was built of logs, and 
there, parents and little ones gathered every Sabbath. On week- 
days was worn the common homespun dress of the settler, but on 
Sunday were put on the carefully preserved clothing which re- 
minded them of the old country. Women might be seen, with 
their neatly-fitting garments, snowy linen ruffles, high-heeled 
shoes, and fur hats, with narrow rims, ornamented with large 
feathers. They were accompanied by men whose broad-cloth suits 
and silver knee-buckles showed that they too reverenced the day, 
and would appear in the house of God in their best attire. The 
children were taken with them to be catechized after service, and 
among the God-fearing Covenanters were found some of the 
noblest spirits of the revolution. 

Although Virginia may boast of William and Mary College, 
founded in 1692, as the second institution for learning in the colo- 
nies, yet, neither in this nor any of the southern States do wo 
find, prior to the revolution, the encouragements to education 
which marked the northern colonies. No common schools were 
established; and one of the Virginia governors, writing of the 
condition of the colony in 1671, says: *^I thank God there are 
no free schools nor printing, and I hope we shall not have these 
hundred years." The first newspaper, the Virginia Gazette, was 
not published until 1736, and then was under the influence of the 

What Society was founded in North Carolina, and by whom? — What law 
was provided for religious teaching of slaves? — What is said of religion in 
western Georgia and Carolina? — Describe the Sunday dress of the Covo- 
nanters. — When, and where, was the second College in the colonies founded? 
— What is said of education at the South? — Repeat the remark of a Virginia 
governor. 



106 COLONIAL HISTORY 

government. "William and Mary College received from the sove- 
reigns for whom it was named, a tract of twenty thousand acres 
of land; and duties on tobacco, skins, and furs, were levied for its 
support. An Indian school was for a time attached to this Col- 
lege, and in later years its library received valuable presents of 
books from Governor Dinwiddie and Mr. Jefferson. 

As early as 1696, free schools were provided by law in Mary- 
land, but were not successfully established until 1704 : the first 
newspaper made its appearance in 1745. In Carolina, parents 
who could afford to do so, sent their children to England to be 
educated. Among the Scotch and Moravian population of Georgia, 
the young were carefully taught by their parents and pastors, espe- 
cially in religious knowledge. Instruction was also given in 
Whitfield's Orphan House, near Savannah, which was under the 
care of James Habersham. 

The productiveness of a southern soil tempted the early settlers 
to industry, and we find large quantities of tobacco raised in Ma- 
ryland and Virginia; whilst further south, cotton and rice planta- 
tions, the cultivation of the vine, and rearing of the silk-worm, 
occupied the colonists. In the year 1715, Maryland raised thirty 
thousand hogsheads of tobacco. In Virginia, there were no 
market-towns, to which produce might be brought for sale : the 
tobacco, bearing the planter's own mark, was shipped directly from 
each plantation to his agent in London or Liverpool. The ship- 
ping of the produce of the Mount Vernon estate was superintended 
by the careful eye of the good proprietor himself, and we are told 
that barrels of flour, bearing the brand of George Washington, of 
Mount Vernon, were entered in the West India ports without 
inspection. 

In Virginia, each plantation was, as it were, a little empire of 
its own, carrying on its own manufactures as well as commerce. 

What is said of William and Mary College? — What is said of schools in 
Maryland? — How were the children of South Carolina educated? — How 
were the Moravians taught? — Where else was instruction given ? — What ar- 
ticles were raised in Virginia and Maryland? — What further south? — How 
did the Virginians ship their produce ? — What is said of the flour sent from 
Mount Vernon ? 



OV THE SOUTHERN STATES. 107 

Around the planter's dwelling were clustered the kitchens, the 
work-shops, and the stables ; and among his negroes were to be 
found carpenters and blacksmiths, tailors and shoemakers, and the 
various other tradesmen which the necessities of common life 
require. All articles of luxury were imported from England. 

On the estate, too, were the large buildings in which tobacco 
was prepared for market. There were mills, too, for the grinding 
of wheat and Indian corn. Large numbers of the negroes were 
field-servants. *' Their quarter,'' says Washington Irving, " formed 
a kind of hamlet apart, composed of various huts, with little 
gardens and poultry yards, all well stocked, and swarms of little 
negroes gambolling in the sunshine." 

In the Carolinas and Greorgia, persevering efforts were made to 
raise wine and silk. From the latter colony, it was hoped that 
large quantities of drugs would be exported. In 1734, General 
Oglethorpe carried to England eight pounds of Georgia silk, and 
a dress was made of it for the Queen. In 1769, South Carolina 
was growing rich by the successful cultivation of rice and indigo. 

The luxuriant productiveness of the south attracted the admi- 
ration of the early colonists : one, writing from Virginia, in 1649, 
gives a glowing account of its fertility. He speaks of twenty-five 
sorts of trees, various species of fish, birds, and fowls, the abun- 
dance and variety of its vegetables, among which he mentions 
asparagus and artichokes, and declares that " with Italy it may 
compare for delicate fruits." Further south, the beauty of the 
woods was often praised. Long gray moss, hanging in festoons 
from the oak trees, gave them " a noble, ancient, hoary'^ appear- 
ance ; whilst the beautiful magnolia, the jessamine, and countless 
wild flowers, filled the air with fragrance. 

The isolated manner of living in Virginia had not a favorable 
efi"ect upon the character of the people. No village, with its 
church, and common school, and training-day, brought them to- 

What surrounded the planter's mansion ? — How were the negroes employed? 
— AVhat other buildings were found on an estate ? — Repeat the quotation. — 
What articles did they attempt to cultivate in Georgia? — What is said of the 
silk culture ? — What was successfully cultivated in South Carolina? — Repeat 
the account given of Virginia in 1649. — What is said of the woods further 
south ? — What effect had their style of living upon the Virginians ? 



108 COLONIAL HISTORY 

gether; and having but few books and little education, tbey spent 
much of their time in low amusements, such as cock-fighting, 
gambling, and horse-racing. The Virginia planters took the 
greatest pride and delight in their fine horses, which were im- 
ported with great care and cost from England. We are told of 
one planter, a Randolph, who built for his beautiful horse Shak- 
Bpeare, a separate stable. In this stable was a little apartment or 
recess, in which was placed the bed of the negro groom who al- 
ways slept beside this favorite animal. The towns of Virginia were 
neither numerous nor populous. Williamsburgb, the capital, con- 
tained but two thousand inhabitants, and the people seldom met, 
save at the lonely parish church or county court-house. But for 
some time before the revolutionary war, a better state of things ex- 
isted, and we hear of many a Virginia home where elegance and 
refinement had spread their genial influence. 

Such was the home at Roanoke, where dwelt the descendants 
of Pocahontas, and the mother of John Randolph taught the fu- 
ture statesman " the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments;'' 
or the elegant mansion at Monticello, adorned by the taste of 
Jefferson ; or the humble farm in Hanover county, where Patrick 
Henry, neglecting agriculture, gave himself up to the study of 
ancient and modern history, and his favorite Livy. Such, too, 
was Chantilly, on the Potomac, where Richard Henry Lee and his 
brother learned their lessons of eloquence and patriotism. 

Above all, such was that home at Mount Vernon, so sacred to 
the heart of every American. It was an humble dwelling, with 
its low gable roof and four small rooms. The house (since en- 
larged) was built on a gentle eminence, and at its base flowed the 
fair Potomac. Noble forests surrounded it, and a few negro huts 
were scattered near. 

The furniture of the house was simple, but statuary of the 
world's heroes, — of Alexander and Caesar, of Charles XII. and 

What is said of their amusements ? — What is said of their love for horses ? 
— Repeat the anecdote. — What is said of Williamsburgh and the scattered 
population ? — What homes are mentioned in Virginia, and what is said of 
them? — Where did Patrick Henry live, and what is said of his pursuits? — 
What is said of Chantilly ? — Describe the house at Mount Vernon. — Describe 
its furniture. 



OP THE SOUTHERN STATES. 109 

the Duke of Marlborough, bespoke the taste of the Father of his 
country. A bust of the king of Prussia was ordered from Europe. 
A few years later, and Frederic the Great sent his sword to Wash- 
ington, with the message, " From the oldest General in Europe, 
to the greatest General in the world." 

Such was Mount Vernon, the humble, but pleasant home, to 
which Washington ever loved to return when relieved from the 
cares and toils of the soldier or the statesman. 

What is said of Frederic the Great? — What is a natural reflection, when 
thinking of Mount Vernon ? 

Review Questions. — Describe the Frenoh attempts at settlements in Caro- 
lina. — Sir Walter Raleigh's four expeditions and their results. 

Who were the first actual settlers ? 

Describe the plan of government framed for Carolina in England. 

What is said of Locke's constitution ? 

Give the account of the founding of Charleston. — What is said of emigra- 
tion to Carolina, and of the Huguenots in particular? — What branches of 
business were chiefly pursued by the people of Carolina ? 

la what wars were these colonies involved from 1702 to 1715 ? — When did 
they respectively become royal provinces ? — What of the Cherokee war of 
1759 and 1761 ? 

Relate the particulars of the first settlement of Georgia. — What is said of 
the Moravian emigrants? — Give the account of Whitfield's visit to their 
colony. — How did Oglethorpe gain the sympathy of the Highland colony? 

In what war did the Georgia colony become involved in 1739? — In what 
battles did Oglethorpe take the lead, and with what results ? — What is said 
of his character ? 

From what motive did the Moravians consent to the introduction of slaves 
into Georgia? — What change was made in the government of Georgia in 
1752 ? — What was the condition of this colony at the time of the revolution, 
and what part did it then take ? 

How, and why, did the social and domestic relations of the south difi'er from 
those of the north ? 

What provision was early made in Virginia for the support of divine wor- 
ship ? — What is said of the difi"erent forms of religion in Maryland, Georgia, 
and the Carolinas? 

What account is given of the colony of Scotch Covenanters in Georgia and 
Carolina ? — What Avas the state of education at the south prior to the revolu- 
tion ? — What were the chief productions of the southern States ? — How does 
one writer describe the fertility of the soil and the beauty of the country ? 

What causes had an unfavorable efi"ect upon the character of the earlier in- 
habitants of Virginia ? — What homes of peculiar excellence are mentioned 
as existing before the revolutionary war ? 

10 



110 THE TEN YEARS PRECEDING 



CHAPTER XI. 

THE STAMP ACT. — THE TEN YEAKS PRECEDING THE WAR OF 
INDEPENDENCE. 

"While ofiFering peace sincere aud just, 
In Heaven we place a manly trust, 
That truth and justice will prevail, 
And every scheme of bondage fail." 

HOPKINSON. 



1765. 



On the 22d of March, 1765, was passed in the English 
Parliament the first act for taxing the colonies in America. 
It was brought forward by Lord Grenville, who said that the 
people of the colonies were British subjects, and therefore ought 
to pay the tax for the support of the British government. The 
act was opposed by Mr. Pitt, by Lord Camden, and by every one 
of the thirteen American colonies. The latter pleaded that Eng- 
land had no right to tax them without their consent, and as they 
were not allowed to send representatives to the English Parliament, 
they could not give their consent. The right of Taxation imthout 
Representation, claimed by England, was the immediate cause 
of the War of Independence. 

The famous Stamp Act of Lord Crenville, imposed a tax upon 
all paper used in daily business, such as deeds, agreements, re- 
ceipts, &c. No such agreement or receipt was to be binding in 
law, unless the paper on which it was written was first stamped 
by government, and a sura paid for this stamp by the party using 
it, varying according to the amount named in the transaction. 
This practice still continues in England as a source of revenue. 
It was peculiarly offensive to the colonists, because it was the first 
act of England imposing a tax upon colonies which had no share 
in the general government. 

When did England first tax the American colonies? — What reason was 
given for this act? — Who brought it forward, and who opposed it? — Why 
did the colonies object to the tax ? — What right did England claim, and what 
was the consequence ? — What did the Stamp Act impose ? 



. THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. Ill 

When the news of the Stamp Act reached America it caused 
great excitement : meetings were held to protest against it, and 
the colonies united in petitions and declarations; '^ following one 
another like a chime of bells." 

In the Legislature of Virginia, young Patrick Henry, in the 
presence of Washington, Jefferson, and Randolph, oflPered five 
resolutions declaring "That the General Assembly^' of the colony 
of Virginia had " the sole right and power to levy taxes upon the 
colony, and that to vest the power in any other body was to de- 
stroy British, as well as American, freedom." He spoke elo- 
quently in favor of these resolutions, and in thej^middle of his 
speech exclaimed, in clear tones, which startled his hearers, " Csesar 
had his Brutus — Charles the First his Cromwell; and George the 
Third — " ' Treason V cried some one : ^ Treason ! Treason !' was 
shouted from every part of the House. " Henry did not falter," 
but concluded his sentence, " ma^ pro/it hy tlieir example. If 
THIS be treason, make the most of it." 

In Massachusetts, James Otis proposed a Congress of delegates 
from all the colonies, to meet in New York in October. This 
proposition was warmly received, although only nine of the oolo 
nies were able to send delegates. This Congress drew up a Decla- 
ration of Rights and a petition to the king. 

The Stamp Act was to go into operation on the first of 
November. In Boston, the day was ushered in by the 
tolling of mufiled bells, hanging flags at half-mast, and ' 

displaying every sign of a funeral solemnity. The people ■'■'^^* 
assembled under an old Elm Tree, thence called '' Liberty Tree," 
made speeches, and hung in effigy Andrew Oliver, the person ap- 
pointed to sell the stamped paper : they afterwards tore down his 
liouse, and obliged him to resign his hateful office. 

In Connecticut, hundreds of men " set out on horse-back, with 

How was it treated in the Legislature of Virginia? — What did the resolu- 
tions of Patrick Henry declare? — What is said of his speech in favor of 
tliem ? — What proposal was made by James Otis ? — How, and to what ex- 
tent, was it received ? — What did the Congress do ? — When was the Stamp 
Act to take effect ? — How was the day observed in Boston ? — What occurred 
in Connecticut with regard to it? 



112 THE TEN TEARS PRECEDING 

eight days' provision, to scour the country" till they should find 
the stamp-master and compel him to resign. They met him at 
Wethersficld, on his way to Hartford, but would let him go no 
further, and at length, after many hours of resistance, obliged him 
to give up his office and throw his hat into the air, shouting three 
times, " Liberty and Property." 

In New York, the stamped paper was taken into the fort, but 
the people surrounded it and committed so much violence, that 
the Governor was glad to resign it into the keeping of the Mayor. 

In Maryland and Pennsylvania, the newspapers appeared in 
mourning, with the most doleful headings, lamenting the badness 
of the times. 

When the British Parliament heard how the first attempt to 
tax America had been received, very different feelings were excited 
among the members : some said with Mr. Pitt, " I rejoice that 
America has resisted;" others were for crushing the rebellious 
spirit at once. 

Benjamin Franklin was then in England: he was 
' brought before the House of Parliament and questioned. 
"Do you think," said Lord Grenville^ "the people of America 
would submit to pay the stamp duty if it was moderated ?" " No; 
never. They will never submit to it," he replied. After a long 
debate, the Stamp Act was repealed; but the Parliament still main- 
tained the RIGHT to tax the colonies. The repeal caused general 
joy throughout America, though there were many who felt that 
tts long as England claimed the right of taxation, they had very 
little cause for rejoicing. 

The nine years succeeding the repeal of the Stamp Act, 

were marked by various harsh measures on the part of Great 

T yi-c Britain. Among others, came the Mutiny Act, a law 

obliging the colonies to find quarters and supplies for 

How was tho stamp-master treated ? — "What was done with the stamped 
paper in New York? — What notice was taken of the day in Maryland and 
Pennsylvania? — What was the effect of these proceedings upon the British 
Parliament ? — IIow was Franklin questioned on the subject ? — What was his 
reply ? — What right did Parliament claim after the repeal of the law ? — How 
was the repeal of tho law received in America ? — What was the Mutiny Act ? 



THE WAR or INDEPENDENCE. 113 

large bodies of soldiery, sent to keep them in order. These 
troops were ordered to New York and Boston : they were hated 
by the people, and constant riots ensued. 

In New York, the soldiers cut down the Liberty-pole, which 
had been erected when the joyful news of the repeal of the Stamp 
Act was received : it was put up a second time, and again cut 
down : three several times these acts of violence were repeated. 
Skirmishes occurred in the streets, and it was not until the troops 
had sailed for Boston that order was restored. 

In Boston, the presence of the British soldiers caused -.^^--/^ 
constant affrays. In one of these, the soldiers fired upon 
tlie populace and killed three men : one of these men was the 
negro who hud excited the disturbance. This deed was called the 
Boston Massacre, and caused high indignation among the people : 
they were, however, much in fault, having aroused the attack 
which ended so fatally. 

In the course of a few months, the captain who had ordered the 
soldiers to fire was tried in Boston for murder : notwithstanding 
the strong feeling of the excited Bostonians against him, two dis- 
tinguished citizens, John Adams and Josiah Quiucy undertook 
his defence, and he was acquitted. 

Even the children of the town were greatly disturbed by the 
presence of British troops among them. 

'' In the winter, the boys were in the habit of building little 
hills of snow, and sliding down them to the pond on the Common, 
for amusement. The English soldiers, to provoke them, would 
often beat down these hills. On one occasion, having rebuilt them, 
and, finding, on their return from school, that they were 
again demolished, several of the boys determined to wait upon 
the captain and complain of his soldiers. The officer made light 
of it, and the soldiers became more troublesome than ever. At 
last, a meeting of the larger boys was held, and a deputation was 

Where were soldiers stationed, and how were they regarded by the people ? 
— What disorders did these soldiers occasion in New York? — What is said 
of the Boston massacre? — What of the subsequent trial ? — How were the chil- 
dren annoyed by the troops? — To whom did they make compluint, aud what 
was the result? — What course did they take next? 
10* H 



114 



THE TEN YEARS PRECEDING 



sent to General Gage, the commander-in-chief. He asked why 
so many children had called upon him. "We come, Sir," said 
the tallest boy, " to demand satisfaction.'' " What !" said the 
General, '' have your fathers been teaching you rebellion, and sent 
you to exhibit it here?" "Nobody sent us, Sir," replied the 




Boston Boys before General Gage. 

boy, while his eyes flashed and his cheek reddened at being accused 
of rebellion j " we have never injured nor insulted your troops, but 
they have trodden down our snow-hills, and broken the ice on our 
skating-grounds. We complained, and they called us young 
rebels, aud told us to help ourselves if we could. We told the 
captain of this, aud he laughed at us. Yesterday our works were 
destroyed the third time, and we will bear it no longer." The 
nobler feelings of the general's heart were awakened, and, after 
gazing upon them in silent admiration for a moment, he turned to 

Give the account of their interview with General Gage. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 115 

an officer by his side, and said, ^' The very children here draw in 
a love of liberty with the air they breathe. You may go, my 
brave boys, and be assured, if my troops trouble you again, they 
shall be punished/'* - 

As Parliament still claimed the riglit to tax the colonies, a duty 
bad been laid on glass, lead, tea, &c. : the colonists therefore deter- 
mined not to import any of these articles, but to manufacture 
everything they possibly could at home. Franklin had advised 
them to light the torches of industry and economy, and they went 
zealously to work. 

In Virginia, where Washington proposed the non-importation 
agreements, articles of luxury were abandoned, and homespun 
and 'Uhread-bare coats were most in fashion." In Newport 
and Boston, the ladies spun industriously, and at their tea-drink- 
ings, used the dried leaves of the raspberry plant, which they 
called Hyperion, instead of the taxed tea imported from England. 
The feeble manufactories prospered, and were encouraged : " at 
Cambridge, in 1770, the graduating class took their degrees in 
home-spun suits." In the same year, all the taxes, excepting the 
one upon tea, were removed. 

In 1773, ships laden with tea were sent to various -,^^5 
ports in America, and the Ameiicans determined not to 
receive it. In Boston, a party of fifteen or twenty men, disguised 
as Mohawk Indians, on a clear, frosty moonlight night, in De- 
cember, marched to Griffin's wharf, where the ships were anchored, 
and boarding them, threw into the sea, in the space of two hours, 
three hundred and forty-two chests of tea. 

In New York, the same resolution existed, that no tea should be 
landed. When the ship "Nancy,'' laden with a cargo, arrived at 
Sandy Hook, the pilot advised the captain not to proceed any 

What did he say of them to one of his officers? — What was the result of 
the deputation ? — What new tax was imposed by Parliament ? — How did the 
colonists act in regard to it? — What was Franklin's advice to them ? — How 
was the tax avoided in Virginia? — How in Newport and Boston ? — What is 
said of the shipment of tea in 1773 ? — Give an account of the "Boston tea- 
party." — What is said of a cargo destined for New York ? 

* liCesing. 



116 THE TEN YEARS PRECEDING 

further : he took this prudent advice, and shortly after, sailed 
away with the tea without even an attempt at landing it. 

The Philadelphia tea-ship was also obliged to return to Eng- 
land without landing its cargo. 

In Charleston, it was stowed in damp cellars and spoiled : not a 

pound of it was sold. 

The conduct of Boston had excited in the British Par- 
1774 

liament great indignation, and the harshest measures were 

now adopted towards this offending town. It was ordered that 
the General Court should no longer assemble there, but be re- 
moved to Salem, and that no vessel should be allowed to enter the 
port of Boston. This last decree, which was called the " Boston 
Port Bill," went into operation on the 1st of June. It caused 
great distress, for many of the citizens were merchants. 

Their calamities excited much and noble sympathy throughout 
the colonies : the merchants of Salem generously offered their 
port to those of Boston : the people of Georgia sent them sixty- 
three barrels of rice and *' a large sum of money." Scoharie, in 
New York, sent five hundred and twenty-five bushels of wheat, 
and from every colony they received aid or sympathy. 

Early in 1774, it was proposed that a General Congress, com- 
posed of delegates from all the Thirteen Colonies, should meet, to 
take into consideration the state of the country. This Congress 
met in Philadelphia, on the 5th of September, 1774, and to it 
our country sent her best and wisest sous. There came Wash- 
ington, and Patrick Henry, and John Adams, and many other 
great and good men. 

They met in " the fear of the Lord," and feeling that to be 
*' the beginning of wisdom," they opened their meetings with 
prayer for divine guidance and support. The first prayer in Con- 

What of that intended for Philadelphia? — How was the tea treated ia 
Charleston? — How was the conduct of Boston regarded in Parliament? — 
What orders were given on account of it? — What was the efifect of the Boston 
Port Bill ? — How did different parts of the country prove their sympathy for 
the people of Boston ? — What new measure was proposed in 1774 ? — When, 
and where, did the Congress meet? — What was the character of its inombors? 
— How did they manifest their " fear of the Lord ?" 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 117 

gress was offered by the Rev. Mr. Duche, an Episcopal clergyman. 
Mr. Adams, in speaking of it, says : " he prayed fervently, and 
in language sublime and beautiful, for Congress, for the province 
of Massachusetts Bay, and especially the town of Boston." 

This Congress drew up a ''Declaration of Rights,'' an agree- 
ment to abstain from all commercial intercourse with England, 
and a petition to the king. Then, having determined to call an- 
other Congress in May of the following year, they broke up on 
the 26th of October. 

Before the second American Congress could assemble, the War 
of Independence had commenced. 

By whom was the first prayer in Congress offered ? — What did Mr. Adams 
say of it ? — What acts did this Congress perform ? 



Review Questions. — What was the cause of the War of Independence? 

When was the Stamp Act passed? — What did it require? — Why was it 
opposed? — How did the colonists show their disapproval of it? — Give an 
account of the opposition to it in the Legislature of Virginia. 

Give an account of the Congress of 1765. — State the proceedings in dif- 
ferent parts of the country when the Stamp Act took effect. — What effect had 
this opposition upon Parliament ? — Why did not the repeal of the law give 
entire satisfaction ? 

What was the Mutiny Act? — What violence did it occasion in New York ? 
— What in Boston? — Relate the anecdote of the annoyances committed 
against the children in Boston, and of their manner of obtaining redress. 

What new taxes were imposed by Parliament? — How did the colonists 
avoid the payment of duties ? — Give particular examj^les. 

How did the people of Boston and other places show their opposition to the 
tax on tea? — How was Boston oppressed in consequence? — How were the 
sufferings of the people relieved ? 

When did the first Congress meet, and where ? — What of its character, re- 
ligious services, and acts ? 

I 



118 THE WAR OF INDETENDENCE. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

" Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants 
thereof." — Leviticus, xxv. 10. 

This war is generally called " the War of the Revolution," 
because it changed, in many important respects, the form of our 
government. 

It is also, and more properly, called ^' the War of Indepen- 
dence," because it resulted in the establishment of the united 
colonies as an independent state among the nations of the earth. 

The war opened with the battles or skirmishes of Lexington 
and Concord. 

The people of Boston, as we have seen, were very much excited 
a<Tainst the British soldiers, and neither General Gage nor the 
royal governor did anything to soften these feelings. 

On the 18th of April, 1775, General Gage sent eight 

' ' hundred troops to destroy some ammunition at Concord, a 
little town about sixteen miles north-west of Boston. 

The troops departed at midnight, but notice of their designs was 
carried to Lexington by two men who secretly left Boston, in 
order to give Hancock, and Adams, and other distinguished pa- 
triots, time to convey themselves to a place of safety. These 
two men reached Lexington at midnight, and by day-break 

^ the minute-men were out upon the village-green, ready to 

' encounter the British troops. The enemy arrived, and a skir- 



1775. 



mish occurred, in which several men were killed. The 



troops then pushed on to Concord, where the villagers were also 

What names were given to this war, and why ? — When, and where, was the 
first battle of the revolution fought? — Relate the circumstances which led to 
these skirmishes. — How were the people of Lexington and Concord informed 
of the approach of the British troops ? — Give the account of this expedition 
and it£ termination. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 119 

prepared to oppose them. Another skirmish took place, and then, 
the British, finding the militia pouring in from the country around, 
began to retreat. Their march back to Boston was more disas- 
trous than the skirmishes had been. The country people by this 
time had assembled from all quarters, and from behind walls and 
barns, fences and sheds, they opened a destructive fire upon the 
harassed and wearied troops. Numbers were killed, and so worn 
out were the soldiers when they reached Boston, that many sunk 
on the ground from utter exhaustion. 

Now the war had begun, and hundreds of brave men gathered 
from all parts of New England to the neighborhood of or around 
Boston. They were led by such officers as Putnam, and Pomeroy, 
and Stark, and Greene, who had learned war in the contests with 
the French and Indians. 

When the news of the battle of Lexington reached Connecticut, 
and it was felt that the war had begun, that colony despatched a 
secret expedition to Ticonderoga to seize a quantity of amnjuni- 
tion collected there. 

Ticonderoga was a strongly fortified place, situated at the outlet 
of Lake George into Lake Champlain. It was feared that the 
Canadian loyalists might seize the ammunition collected there and 
use it against the colonists; it was therefore important to secure 
it as soon as possible. 

The expedition from Connecticut was joined by the green moun- 
tain boys as the Vermont troops were called ; and to their leader, 
Colonel Ethan Allen, a bold spirit, just suited for such a daring 
cnterprize, was given the command of the whole expedition : he 
was joined by Benedict Arnold, with some men from Massa- 
chusetts. 

On the night of the 10th of May, they reached the shore op- 
posite Ticonderoga. Taking for their guide a farmer's son, who. 

What were the effects of this event upon the people of New England? — 
Who were the leaders of the New England forces ? — On hearing that the war 
had begun, what expedition was undertaken by Connecticut ? — Where is Ti- 
conderoga situated, and why was it important to secure this place? — What 
forces joined this expedition, and who was their leader? — Descibo and date 
the attack on Ticonderoga. 



120 THE WAR OP INDEPENDENCE. 

from associating with the soldiers, knew every secret entrance, the 
officers, with only eighty-three men, crossed the Lake. Forming 
his men into three lines, Allen roused them by a few stirring 
words, and then, as day was breaking, they marched upon the 
fortress. The frightened sentinel retreated by a covered way, and 
the Americans following, found themselves within the fortress 
without striking a blow. Allen mounted to the commander's 
quarters, and waking him, by three raps upon the door with 
the hilt of his sword, ordered him "instantly to surrender.'^ 
Seeing no hope of resistance, he obeyed, and thus the fort, with 
its guns, muskets, and a large amount of ammunition, fell into 
the hands of the Americans. 

A few days after, they took possession of Crown Point. 

The next important event in this first year of the war, was the 
battle of Bunker's Hill. 

After the skirmishes of Lexington and Concord, large numbers 
of the inhabitants of Boston left the city, and only those remained 
who were loyalists, that is, friends of the British government, or 
those to whom General Gage refused permission to depart : these 
last were chiefly wives and children of the Americans. 

The American army of willing and brave, but undisciplined 
soldiers, were encamped around Boston, at Dorchester, Roxbury, 
and in strongest force at Cambridge. Their encampment presented 
a strange appearance. The quarters " were as different in their 
forms, as the owners were in their dress. Some were made of 
boards, and some of sail-cloth ; some partly of one, and partly of 
the other. Others were made of stone or turf, brick or brush. 
Some were thrown up in a hurry ; others curiously wrought, with 
doors and windows, done with wreaths and withes, in the manner 
of a basket." 

From their rude encampment, the Americans watched every 
movement of the enemy. 

What was gained by this expedition ? — What was the next important event 
of the war? — What class of people remained in Boston after the battle of 
Lexington ? — Where was the American army encamped ? — Describe the en- 
campment at Cambridge. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 121 

The town of Boston is built on a peninsula. Opposite to it, 
and separated only by a narrow stream, is another peninsula, — 
that of Charlestowu. On the Charlestown peninsula were two 
hills ; Bunker's and Breed's Hill. Bunker's Hill was the highest, 
but Breed's Hill was nearest the end of the peninsula, and both 
overlooked the opposite town of Boston. 

It was rumored in the American camp, that on the night of the 
18th of June, General Gage intended to seize and fortify Bunker's 
Hill. The Americans determined to anticipate him. 

On the evening of the 16th of June, a party of troops, com- 
manded by Colonel Prescott, assembled at Cambridge, ready for 
the work. After a prayer from the President of Harvard College, 
they went on their march. Provided with working-tools, muskets, 
and dark-lanterns, they silently proceeded to the peninsula of 
Charlestown. 

They had been ordered to fortify Bunker's Hill, but on reaching 
the ground, selected Breed's Hill as a better position. Officers 
and men, with pickaxes and spades, toiled cheerfully and 
steadily; and by morning light their '' strong redoubt ^^^ 
loomed up on the green height before the wondering eyes 177?: 
of the Bostonians, like a work of magic." 

Very weary were the soldiers ; but they lay behind their breast- 
work, calmly awaiting the British troops which General Gage had 
sent to dislodge them. They were cheered by the presence of 
beloved commanders — Prescott, Putnam, and Warren. The British 
were led on by General Howe. 

The battle was bravely fought : as long as the ammunition held 
out, the Americans drove back the British. It was only when 
they had expended the last grains of their powder, that they were 
driven from the redoubt. 

Many fell on both sides, but by the Americans the death of Dr. 
Warren, of Boston, was most deeply felt. Of him Mrs. Adams 

Describe the position of Bunker's and Breed's Hills. — Why did the Ameri- 
cans determine to fortify Bunker's Hill ? — When, and in what manner, was the 
work undertaken ? — Why did they fortify Breed's Hill, and when was the 
work completed? — Who were the commanderg on each side? — Give some 
account of the battle. — Whose death was deeply felt by the Americans ? 
11 



122 THE WAR or INDEPENDENCE. 

writes, '■'• Not all the havoc and devastation they have made, has 
moved me like the death of \Yarren. We want him in the Senate ; 
we want hira in his profession ; we want him in the field. We 
mourn for the citizen, the senator, the physician, and the warrior/' 
Gen. Warren was the last man who left the redoubt at Breed's 
Hill, and was but a short distance from it when killed by a musket- 
ball. 

The result of this battle encouraged the colonists and alarmed 
the British, by convincing them that the enemy was not so feeble 
as they had imagined. 

While these events were going on at Boston, the second Conti- 
nental Congress had met in Philadelphia, and had appointed 
George Washington, of Virginia, Commander-in-chief of the 
American army. 

He received his appointment with the dignity and modesty 
which marked all his actions. He refused all pay, saying, " I will 
keep an exact account of my expenses. Those, I doubt not, they 
will discharge, and that is all I desire." 

General Washington proceeded at once to the performance of 
his duty. He reached Cambridge on the evening of the second 
of July. On the morning of the third, the troops were drawn up 
on the Common : General Washington, surrounded by his officers, 
and standing under the large tree, since known as the Washington 
Elm, drew bis sword, and addressing a few words to the soldiers, 
took the command of the continental army. 

It numbered fourteen thousand men, but many of these were 
unfit for service, and all required drilling. Many of them had 
left their farms on the first impulse, but receiving little pay, and 
being unused to the hardships of war, some grew weary and deserted. 
All the troops were badly clothed, without proper tents, and 
greatly in want of ammunition. When Washington took the 
command, he found but nine cartridges to each soldier. 

Repeat Mrs. Adams's remarks. — What was the eifect of this battle ? — Du- 
ring this time, what was taking place at Philadelphia ? — How did Greneral 
Washington receive his appointment? — Where, and when, did he enter upon 
the command ? — What was the number and condition of the American 
Army ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 123 

Such were some of the difficulties which tried the soul of this 
great man. They lasted through the whole war, but his patience 
and patriotism never surrendered to them. With admirable judg- 
ment, he always did the very best thing that could be done at the 
time and under the circumstances. 

The year 1775 closed with the unfortunate attack on Quebec. 

Congress wished very much to secure to the colonists the pro- 
vince of Canada. To accomplish this, two expeditions were to 
march from different points, and unite at Quebec, the capital of 
the province, situated on the river St. Lawrence. 

General Montgomery's army, ordered by Congress, was to as- 
cend Lake Champlain, take Montreal, and then descend the 
river to the capital. General Arnold's army, sent by Washington 
from the camp at Cambridge, was to proceed up the Kennebec, 
across the forests of Maine, to the Chaudiere, a river which 
empties into the St. Lawrence opposite Quebec. 

At first. General Montgomery was successful : he captured 
Montreal and other British posts, but his men grew discontented, 
and deserted; the winter was very severe, the men were badly 
clothed, provisions failed, and it was with a mere handful of troops 
that on the first of December he appeared before Quebec. 

Arnold, meanwhile approaching from an opposite quarter, had 
performed a dreadful march through the wilderness. Through the 
snows of pathless forests; carrying their boats on their backs; often 
in danger of perishing among the rapids ; reduced almost to starvar 
tion, these brave men in November reached the shores of the St. 
Lawrence. To the astonished Canadians their appearance seemed 
miraculous. 

Finding himself unable to attack the city with his diminished 
force, Arnold retired twenty miles up the St. Lawrence, and there 
awaited the approach of Montgomery. When the latter arrived, 
the united forces besieged Quebec for three weeks, and at length 
determined to attempt to take it by assault. 

How did Washington meet the difficulties of his position ? — When was the 
expedition against Quebec undertaken ? — What was its object ? — To what 
Generals was it committed ? — What part was assigned to each ? — Describe 
Montgomery's progress. — Describe Arnold's progr«ss. — What occurred on 
their ajrival opposite Quebec ? 



124 THE WAB OF INDEPENDENCE. 

At dawn, on the last day of the year 1775, both Ameri- 
01^' can generals, but from different quarters, attacked the 
_^ ' city. It was a stormy morning; the snow was falling 
fast, <<and the wind piling it in drifts." Through all, 
with desperate courage, Montgomery led his men, as he supposed, 
to victory, but it proved to death : he was among the first who fell. 
Arnold, ignorant of the sad fate of Montgomery, pressed on, 
but was soon disabled by a severe wound, and carried from the 
field. General Morgan then took the command, but courage was 
unavailing : the British troops surrounded them in greater num- 
bers, and the division was forced to surrender. The prisoners 
were treated kindly. Arnold took command of the American 
troops who had effected a retreat, and recrossing the river, en- 
trenched himself a few miles from the town. Thus closed the 
first year of the war. 



1776. 

The year 1776 witnessed the signing of the ^^ Declaration of 
Independence," but the military events of the year were not very 
inspiriting, although it opened favorably. 

Washington, with his troops at Cambridge, had kept the British 
shut up in Boston. During the month of March he prepared to 
bombai-d it, by erecting batteries on the various heights in the 
neighborhood, particularly at Dorchester, from which a fire was 
opened upon the town. General Howe, who had succeeded 
General Gage, became alarmed for the safety of the city, and de- 
termined to evacuate it. This was accordingly done on the 
17th of March. The British troops embarked, and in a few days 
sailed for Halifax. 

On the 20th, Washington, at the head of his army, marched into 

When, and under what circumstances, was the attack made ? — What befell 
the American commanders, and what was the result of the attack ? — What 
rendered 1776 so important a year ? — Describe Washington's operations at 
Cambridge. — What did the British do ? 

! 



THE Yv^AR OF INDEPENDENCE. 125 

Boston. They entered amid shouts of joy; but their spirits were 
filled with sadness when they beheld the ruined condition of their 
beautiful town; the capital and pride of New England. The 
churches had been desecrated; the Old South changed into a 
riding-school, and others converted into barracks or torn down for 
fuel : Faneuil Hall had been used for a theatre ; valuable libra. 
ries had been burned ; handsome dwellings injured, and trees cut 
down. Everything bore a sad witness to the wanton and wicked 
passions excited during a time of war. 

Washington, having garrisoned Boston, repaired to New York, 
for he feared the British on leaving Halifax would attack that 
city. 

Before attempting New York, the British sent Sir Peter Parker 
and Sir Henry Clinton to the south, to make an assault on 
Charleston. General Lee and Colonel Moultrie made every exer- 
tion for its defence. They built, on Sullivan's Island, in the 
harbor, a fort of palmetto wood. This wood is so soft that cannon 
or musket balls sink into it without doing much damage. The 
attack on Fort Sullivan was commenced on the 28th of June. It 
lasted ten hours, and ended in the repulse of the British. 

Great bravery was shown on both sides. Once, during the 
action, a British ball broke the flag-staff on the fort, and the 
colors fell over the parapet on the beach beyond. A sergeant, 
named Jasper, leaped over the breastwork, picked up the flag, and, 
unharmed by the fire from the fleet, sprang back into the fort, and 
amid the shouts of applause from his comrades, planted the flag 
of Carolina again upon the fort. The next day, Governor But- 
ledge presented him with a sword, and offered him a lieutenant's 
commission. The latter, Jasper, refused, saying, "I am not fit to 
keep ofl&cers' company ; I am but a sergeant.^' 

General Clinton and Sir Peter Parker, finding they had lost 
many men, and that no prospect remained of reducing the fort, 
abandoned the attempt and sailed for New York. 

What was the condition of Boston when Washington entered it? — State 

Washington's next object. — What threatened Charleston, South Carolina? — 

Describe its defence. — Relate the attack on Fort Sullivan. — Repeat the story 

of sergeant Jasper. — What was the next object of the British fleet and foroo ? 

11* 



126 



THE WAR OF I N D E P F: N I) E N C E 



/V> .c 





Sergeant Jasper planting the Flag of Carolina on the ramparts of Fort Moultrie. 

About this time occurred the event which makes the year 
1776 so memorable to Americans. 

For many months, the minds of the colonists had been drawn 
to the thought of a separation from Great Britain; but it was not 
until the 7th of June, 1776, that a formal proposition to this 
effect was made in the Continental Congress, then assembled at 
Philadelphia. On the day named, Richard Henry Lee, of Vir- 
ginia, presented the following resolution : — 

*' That these united colonies are, and of right, ought to be, free 
and independent States; and that all political connection between 

What subject engaged the minds of the colonists at this timo? — Whore was 
Congress assembled ? — Repeat Richard Uenry Lee's resolution. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 127 

US and the State of Great BritaiD is, and ougbt to be, totally 
dissolved/' 

It was determined to defer the consideration of the subject until 
the first of July. In the meantime a committee, of which Mr 
Jefferson was chairman, was appointed to prepare the form of a 
Declaration, which, when the matter came to be discussed, should 
be presented to Congress. 

Mr. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It com- 
mences thus: — "When, in the course of human events, it be- 
comes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands 
which have connected them with another, and to assume, among 
the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which 
the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent 
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should de- 
clare the causes which impel them to the separation. '^ — Then 
follows a detail of the wrongs which induced the people of the 
American colonies to declare themselves independent. The docu- 
ment closes with the words, " For the support of this Declaration, 
with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we 
mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our 
sacred honor." 

Assembled in the old State-House, with closed doors, on the 
first, second, third, and fourth days of July, the Declaration was 
seriously considered, paragraph by paragraph, and at length, at two 
o'clock in the afternoon of the Fourth of July, was 
adopted by an unanimous vote of the Continental Congress. ^ 

" The final decision was announced by Secretary Thomson ' 

to the assembled body in Independence Hall. It was a ^**^' 
moment of solemn interest ; and when the secretary sat down, a 
deep silence pervaded that august assembly. Thousands of anxious 
citizens had gathered in the streets of Philadelphia, for it was 
known that the final decision was to be made on that day. From 
the hour when Congress convened in the morning, the old bell- 

Who prepared the Declaration of Independence ? — Repeat the extracts 
from it. — When was it discussed and adopted ? — What took place on its an- 
nouncement? 



128 THE WAR or INDEPENDENCE. 

man had been in the steeple. He placed a boy at the door below, 
to give him notice when the announcement should be made. A? 
hour succeeded hour, the old man shook his head, and said, ' Thej 
will never do it ! they will never do it !' Suddenly, a loud shoul 
came up from below, and there stood the boy, clapping his hands, 
and shouting, ' Ring ! Ring !' Grasping the iron tongue of the 
old bell, backward and forward he hurled it a hundred times, its 
loud voice proclaiming ' Liberty throughout all the land, unto all 
the inhabitants thereof.' * The excited multitude in the streets 
responded with loud acclamations, and with cannon-peals, bonfires, 
and illuminations, the patriots testified their joy that night in the 
quiet city of Penn." f 

The Declaration of Independence did much to animate the 
hearts of the people, and to support their spirits during the dis- 
astrous military campaign which followed. By this act the colo- 
nies became henceforth '^ The United States of America.'' 

In the month of July the British fleet left Halifax, and meditating 
an attack on New York, entered the harbor, and landed troops on 
Staten Island. Here General Howe was joined, in a few days, by 
Sir H. Clinton and Sir P. Parker, from the south. 

Washington had fortified the strong points commanding the 
city. In August, the British and Hessians landed on Long Island, 
and attacked the division of the American army posted at Brook- 
lyn. In the battle which followed, the Americans were defeated, 
and during the night efiected a retreat to New York. Leaving 
the city in the hands of the British, the Americans con- 
"^.ffp' tinned their march to the north end of the island. At 
' * Haarlem a skirmish was fought, in which they were par- 
tially victorious : the retreat then continued through West- 

What was the gcueral eifect of the Declaration of Independence? — How 
was New York threatened ? — What battle was fought, and with what result ? 
— Describe Washington's retreat to White Plains, and mention the skirmishes 
that occurred ? 

* This bell, now preserved in Indcpondenco Hall, was eent out from England in 1752, 
and recast iu Philadelphia in 1753. Engraved on the rim was the text : " Proclaim 
liberty throughout all the land, and to the inhabitants thereof." It was a lingular coin- 
cidence that this bell should be the first to peal out a note of joy on the Declaration of 
Independence. < 

t Lossing. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 129 

Chester County to White Plains, where they made a stand, 
encountered the British, and were again defeated. After losing 
Fort Washington, the capture of which he witnessed from Fort 
Lee, on the opposite side of the Hudson, Washington, pursued 
by Cornwallis, retreated through New Jersey and crossed the Dela- 
ware with his diminished and disheartened army, early in De- 
cember. 

Every preparation was made for the defence of Philadelphia : 
Congress adjourned to Baltimore. 

The British, under Lord Cornwallis, had pursued Washington 
to the banks of the Delaware, but could not cross it for want of 
boats, and awaited the freezing of the river, believing that the 
city would then fall an easy prey into their hands. The knowledge 
that Congress had departed, and that there were many loyalists within 
the town, increased this confidence and rendered them carelessly 
secure. Their troops were posted through New Jersey in small 
divisions, and at scattered stations. One of their officers boasted 
that he could secure New Jersey ''with a corporal's guard.'' Corn- 
wallis had returned to head-quarters at New York. 

Washington determined to take advantage of this unwise secu- 
rity, and to attack one of their divisions, a body of Hessians, stationed 
at Trenton, under Colonel Rahl. He chose Christmas night for 
the enterprise, for he knew the German custom of keeping that 
day with feasting and carousals, and believed that an attack then 
would be more than usually unexpected. 

His army, composed of two divisions, was to march 
upon Trenton by separate roads. At night, amid floating 
ice and a storm of snow and sleet, they crossed the Dela- -^^Jr, 
ware at McKonkey's ferry, and marching all night, 
reached the town by day-light. The surprise was complete. 

Colonel Bahl, it is said, had been invited to a Christmas supper, 
and was engaged in card-playing, when a loyalist, aware of the 
Americans' approach, sent him a note. The negro servant to 

Describe his retreat from White Plains to the Delaware. — What city was 
next threatened ? — What prevented an attack ? — What made the British too 
confident of final success ? — What advantage did AVashington take of this 
confidence ? 



130 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

whom it was given, at first refused to disturb his masted, and when 
prevailed upon to hand it to him, Colonel Rahl, whose turn it was 
to deal, and who was excited by wine, thrust it into his pocket. 
A few hours later, and the sound of the drum and the musket 
aroused him to a sense of his danger. 

Hastily mounting his horse and rallying his men, he endeavored 
to oppose the Americans; but the panic-stricken soldiers were 
flying in every direction. He was himself mortally wounded, and 
carried from the scene. The Hessians surrendered themselves 
prisoners of war. 

With this brave achievement the year 1776 closed hopefully. 

What time did he choose for this enterprise? — Why did he select it? — 
Describe the passage of the Delaware. — Were the Hessians prepared for the 
attack ? — What was the result ? 



Keview Questions. — Describe the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord. 
— The attack on Fort Ticonderoga. — The army about Boston. — The battle 
of Bunker Hill. 

Who was appointed to the chief command, and what was the condition of 
the country at this time ? 

Relate Montgomery's and Arnold's expeditions to Quebec, and the result. 

What led to the evacuation of Boston ? — Describe the condition in which 
the Americans found the town. 

Relate the particulars of the attack on Fort Moultrie. 

Relate the events which led to the Declaration of Independence. — Describe 
the scene at the time and place of its adoption. 

Give an account of the battle of Brooklyn, and of the events which followed. 

What brilliant achievement closed the campaign ? — Describe it. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 131 

CHAPTER XIII. 

THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (Continued.) 

"The land is holy where they fought, 
And holy where they fell ; 
For by their blood that land was bought 
The land they loved so well." 

1777. 

At the opening of the year 1777, there were in America three 
British armies : one of thirty-five thousand men, under General 
Howe, whose head-quarters were in New York ; another of seven 
thousand in Canada, under Sir Guy Carleton, who in March was 
superseded by General Burgoyne; and a small detachment of about 
five thousand in Rhode Island, commanded by General Prescott. 

The war during this year was carried on chiefly in the States 
of New York and Pennsylvania. We shall first follow through 
the year the proceedings of the army which we left, at the close 
of 1776, in New Jersey, under General Washington ; and after- 
wards relate the important military events which, during this year, 
occurred in New York. 

On New- Year's day of 1777, Washington was at Tren- 
ton, preparing for the approach of Cornwallis, who, having ^ n * 
heard of the capture of Colonel Rahl, had returned to New *^' 

Jersey, and was marching rapidly towards the scene of the 
disaster. 

A little stream divides the town, and Washington, with his 
men, lay encamped on the southern side of it. Cornwallis arrived 
about sunset and endeavored to cross the stream, but the Ameri- 
cans repulsed him, and the armies rested on opposite banks of tho 
creek, awaiting the approach of day. 

Mention the disposition of the Bi-itish forces in America at the opening of 
J 777. — Where were the operations of the war carried on during this year? — 
Mention Washington's position at the beginning of this year. — Who threat- 
» ned him with an attack ? — Describe the position of the two armies at Trenton. 



132 THE "WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

The British army was fresh and strong, that of the Americans 
was worn out and undisciplined, and they feared the result of the 
next day's encounter. A council of war was held, in which it 
was determined to abandon their post during the night, march 
rapidly to Princeton, and surprise the British there. The greatest 
objection to this plan was that the ground, owing to a thaw, was 
80 soft that cannon could not be dragged over it; but, whilst the 
council were debating the matter, the wind suddenly changed, and 
the weather became so cold, that in two hours the ground was 
frozen hard. 

Camp-fires were now lighted on the American side of the 
stream to deceive the British, and rapidly and stealthily the army 
marched off for Princeton. It was a ten miles march, over roads 
so rough, that they did not reach the outskirts of the village until 
dawn. 

The British were taken by surprise, and in the skirmish which 
followed, were defeated. A ball fired at Nassau Hall, the College 
in Princeton, is said to have gone directly through a portrait of 
George IT., destroying the picture without injuring the frame. 
Washington afterwards gave the trustees of the College two hun- 
dred and fifty dollars to repair the injury done to the building, 
but they expended it for a full-length portrait of the General, 
which hangs in the very frame from which the head of the king 
was carried away by the cannon-ball. 

In this battle fell the brave General Hugh Mercer, a loss which 
was felt deeply by the Americans. 

General Cornwallis was much surprised on awaking at Trenton, 
to find the camp-fires of the Americans still burning, but not a 
Boldier, tent, or cannon to be seen. The firing at Princeton soon 
made him aware of the direction the missing enemy had taken, 
and he commenced a hasty pursuit, but could not arrive in time 
to prevent the victory which Washington had gained. 

What was the condition of the American army? — Owing to these circum- 
stances, what was resolved upon? — What obstacles retarded its accomplish- 
ment ? — IIow did they effect their purpose? — Describe the attack on Prince- 
ton. — What loss befell the Americans in this battle ? — What course did Corn- 
wallis pursue, when he found the Americans had escaped him ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 13S 

On leaving Princeton, the first design of the Americans had 
been to press on to New Brunswick and capture the stores which 
the British had collected there; but as Cornwallis, with fresh troops, 
was in close pursuit, the plan was abandoned, and changing the 
direction of their march, they advanced towards Morristown, 
where Washington soon after took up his winter quarters. In 
May, he removed to Middlebrook. 

No event throughout the entire war had a more cheering effect 
upon the desponding hearts of the Americans, than these suc- 
cesses in the Jerseys. 

They occurred at perhaps the darkest hour of the struggle, 
when even tried patriots had well-nigh given up to despair, and 
they restored a confidence which was never again lost. 

In July, the hearts of the Americans were cheered by the news 
of an exploit performed by William Barton, a militia colonel, of 
Providence, Rhode Island. 

It will be remembered that a British force was quartered on 
Rhode Island, under the command of General Prescott. The 
disposition of this officer was harsh and tyrannical, and his pre- 
sence, with that of his troops quartered among them, was felt by 
the inhabitants to be most oppressive. They desired earnestly to 
get rid of him, and William Barton formed the hazardous design 
of surprising and capturing him in his quarters. 

General Prescott was then living at a Quaker's house, about five 
miles out of Newport. On the night of the tenth of July, Bar- 
ton, and a few bold followers, in whale-boats with muffled oars, 
crossed Narraganset Bay, and landed on the island. They 
were unobserved, although so near were the British guard- 
boats, that they heard the sentinel's cry, "All's well !" In 
two divisions, they silently marched towards the house : the 
sentinel challenged the first party that approache(^, but they seized 
and silenced him. Then entering the house. Barton enquired of 
its owner, who was sitting up and reading, for General Prescott's 

After attacking Princeton, what design had the Americans? — Why did 
they not pursue it? — Where did Washington take up his head-quarters? — 
How was the British comnaanler in Ehode Island regarded ? — To what design 
did this lead ? — Describe Barton's expedition for the capture of Prescott. 

12 



134 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

room. The man pointed upwards, and Barton, with four men and 
a strong negro, rushed up stairs. The door was locked, but the 
negro dashed against it with his head, and burst it open. Greneral 
Prescott, supposing them to be robbers, started up and seized his 
watch. The next moment, Barton's hand was laid on his shoulder, 
informing him that he was a prisoner, and he was told that silence 
was his only safety. Quietly and quickly he was hurried to the 
boats and across the bay. Not a word was spoken until they 
landed at Warwick Point: then. General Prescott broke the si- 
lence, by saying to Colonel Barton, " Sir, you have made a bold 
push to-night;'^ to which the latter merely replied, "We have 
been fortunate. '* 

A detachment of General Howe's army, whose head-quarters 
were in New York, had, under Lord Cornwallis, been threatening 
the Americans in New Jersey. Washington, from his camp at 
Middlebrook, so disheartened the enemy, that by the end of June 
they had given up New Jersey in despair. 

Lord Cornwallis joined General Howe in New York; and 
Washington watched with no small anxiety the next movement 
of the enemy, believing that an attack on the city of Philadelphia 
was intended. 

In this he was not mistaken, for in July the British fleet, com- 
manded by Lord Howe, and having on board eighteen thousand 
men, under his brother. Sir William Howe, sailed for the Dela- 
ware. Not being able to ascend this river, on account of the ob- 
structions thrown into it by the Americans, they proceeded to the 
Chesapeake, and ascending this Bay, landed at Elk Head, not 
far from Wilmington, and about thirty miles south-west of 
Philadelphia. 

As soon as Washington learned this movement of the British, 
the American army marched towards Wilmington. On opposite 
banks of the Brandywine creek the two armies were encamped for 

Who commanded the army threatening New Jersey ? — When was Lord 
Cornwallis driven from New Jersey ? — What did Washington fear would be 
the next movement of the British ? — Was this movement made, and by whom ? 
— What difBculty met the British fleet? — Where were the British troops 
landed ? — To what point did the Americans advance ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 135 

several days. On the eleventh of September, the British crossed 
the stream at Chad's Ford, attacked and defeated the Americans. 

The latter retreated first to Chester, and then to Philadelphia, 
Washington still hoping to save the city. But this he was 
unable to do, and finally, on the twenty-sixth of September, it 
fell into the enemy's hands. The main body of their army 
was posted at Germantown, six miles north of Philadelphia. 
Washington retreated about twenty miles up the Schuylkill. 

Hearing that the British force at Germantown was somewhat 
weakened, he planned an attack upon it. The Americans, in four 
divisions, were to advance by difierent routes; but their march 
was rendered slow by the roughness of the roads, and the approach 
of the division under AVayne and Sullivan was discovered at 
Chesnut Hill. They succeeded in driving the British from this 
post, but a party, under Colonel Musgrove, took refuge in a strong 
stone bouse, known as Chew's House, and detained Wayne's 
division a long time, in a vain endeavor to force them from their 
refuge. 

Other troops pressed on : they drove back the British brigades, 
and for a time victory seemed secure ; but owing to the failure of 
some of the divisions to move to the attack as ordered, in the battle 
which ensued the Americans were obliged to retreat with con- 
siderable loss. 

They retired to White Marsh, in the plain beyond Chesnut 
Hill. 

Whilst here, an attempt was made by the British to surprise 
Washington in his camp ; but the design was providentially frus- 
trated by the heroism of a Quaker woman, named Lydia Darrach. 

Lydia lived in Philadelphia, in a house recently standing in Second 
street, known as the Loxley House. Here the Adjutant General 

Where was a battle fought, and with what result ? — Did the British accom- 
plish the object of the expedition ? — Where, and how, was their army posted? 
— Where was the American army quartered ? — Describe the plan of the at- 
tack on Germantown. — What difficulties and opposition were encountered? — 
What was the result of the battle of Germantown ? — To what place did the 
Americans retreat? — What attempt was made upon Washington at Whit© 
Marsh ? — Who became aware of this design, and by what means ? 



136 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 




Lydia Darrach. 

of the British army had his quarters, and here consultations were 
frequently held by the commanding officers. One evening, the 
General ordered Lydia to prepare a room for the reception of some 
gentlemen who were to meet him on business; adding, in a de- 
cisive tone, " and be sure, Lydia, your family are all in bed at an 
early hour." His manner impressed her wi^h the feeling that 
something of importance was intended, but she obeyed his orders; 
her family were asleep, and she, after admitting the officers, retired 
without undressing to her own bed. 

The feeling that evil designs against her couutry were plotting, 
made her so restless, that at length she arose, and k^tole barefooted 



THE WAR or INDEPENDENCE. 137 

to the door of the room in which the council was sitting. There 
she heard an order from General Howe for the troops in Phila- 
delphia to march out and surprise and attack Washington's camp 
at White Marsh. 

At early dawn Lydia arose, and with a prayer for guidance and 
protection, left the city on pretence of going to Frankford Mills 
for flour. Leaving her meal-bag at Frankford, she pressed 



on through the snow, for it was a cold December morniu 



Dec. 
1777. 



towards Germantown. Meeting an American oflScer, she 
told him the precious secret, and then, hurrying back to Frank- 
ford, took up her flour, and reached Philadelphia without any 
suspicions being' aroused. 

That night she saw the troops depart, on what she felt, was a 
fruitless errand ; and so it proved, for in a few days they returned, 
having accomplished nothing, and not a little discomfited. The 
Adjutant General of course called Lydia Darrach to account. He 
asked if " any of her family were up on the night previous to the 
day on which the troops left the city ?" she replied, " No, they 
all retired at 8 o'clock.'-' " It is very strange," said the officer ; 
" you, I know, Lydia, were asleep, for I knocked at your door three 
times before you heard me, yet it is certain we were betrayed : — 
on arriving, we found Washington so prepared at every point, that 
we have been compelled to march back without injuring our 
enemy, like a parcel of fools." 

Whilst at White Marsh, Washington felt great anxiety for the 
little American flotilla which still held possession of the Delaware, 
and also for the forts on the shore, which protected it : these were 
Fort Mercer, at Red Bank, on the Jersey shore, and Fort Mifflin, 
on an island nearly opposite. 

The British, having possession of Philadelphia, determined to 
dislodge their enemy from these posts on the river. A body of 
Hessians was sent against Fort Mercer, but Colonel Greene de- 
How did Lydia attempt to inform Washington, and with what success ? — 
What was the result of this expedition ? — Describe the British officer's inter- 
view with Lydia on their return. — To what points was Washington's attention 
now directed ? — What attempts were made by the British against these points ? 

12* 



138 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

fended it with great bravery, and the enemy were repulsed with 
the loss of their leader, Count Donop. Fort Mifflin sustained a 
siege of six days, making a brave but desperate defence. On the 
night of the sixteenth of November, no hope remained of longer 
holding the fort ; the garrison burned the barracks, and escaped 
to Red Bank. That, too, was evacuated, and the garrison which 
had so bravely defended these forts, rejoined Washington. 

A few vessels of the fleet escaped up the river to Burlington, 
and seventeen were abandoned by the crews, and burned. In 
December, Washington, breaking up his quarters at White Marsh, 
retired to Valley Forge, on the Schuylkill, about six miles above 
Norristown. 

We shall now leave Washington with his suffering and despond- 
ing army, in their huts at Valley Forge, and go back to the more 
cheering events, which, during the summer of 1777, took place 
in New York. 



It will be remembered, that a British army was stationed in 
Canada, under General Carleton. This was the force, which, at 
the close of 1775, had defended Quebec against Montgomery and 
Arnold, and which, finally, in the spring of the following year, 
succeeded in driving the Americans from Canada. In March of 
1777, the English government determined to increase this army, 
and employ it in a design, which, if successfully accomplished, 
they hoped would end the war in America. 

British forces already occupied Rhode Island and New York, 
and by employing this Canadian army to seize the posts on Lake 
Champlain and the Hudson, all communication between New 
England and the Middle States would be cut off, and the sepamted 
sections, it was hoped, would fall an easy prey into the hands of 
the British. 

What befell tbem? — AVhat became of the American flotilla ? — Where did 
Washington quarter bis troops during the winter of 1777-8 ? — By whom was 
the British army in Canada commanded, and what bad it accomplished? — 
What great enterprise was planned for this army ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 139 

In the spring of 1777, about the time that Washington was 
compelling the enemy to abandon New Jersey, General Burgoyne 
arrived to take command of the forces in Canada. General 
Carleton, though hurt by the ingratitude of the English govern- 
ment, in thus depriving him of the chief command, nobly aided 
Burgoyne in all his preparations, and by June, a large anny was 
collected at St. Johns, near the outlet of Lake Champlain. 

A detachment of two thousand men, under Colonel St. Leger, 
were ordered to ascend the St. Lawrence, capture Oswego, on 
Lake Ontario, and Fort Schuyler (Rome), on the Mohawk, and 
join General Burgoyne at Albany, when the latter should have 
carried his conquests to that point. It will be seen how, in the 
providence of God, these designs against our country were 
defeated. 

As soon as Congress was made aware of the impending danger, 
it prepared for defence. General Schuyler, a brave, skilful, and 
much beloved officer, was sent to take command of the forces at 
the north : he found the army in a destitute condition and few 
in number, yet his courage did not fail, and he prepared to dis- 
pute every inch of ground with the advancing enemy. 

General Burgoyne left St. Johns in June, and by the 
first of July, had swept Lake Champlain, and appeared -,^-,-«' 
before Ticonderoga. That fortress was abandoned, and * 
the Americans fled by night, retreating towards Fort Edward, on 
the Hudson, where General Schuyler was posted. They were met 
at Hubbardtown by a party of the enemy, and a battle ensued, in 
which the Americans were defeated. In the course of their re- 
treat, they felled trees, and threw as many obstructions as possible 
in the way of the British advance ; but at length, in July, General 
Schuyler was obliged to leave Fort Edward, and retreat further 
down the river. 

While General Burgoyne was within a few miles of Fort Ed- 
ward, an event occurred which has thrown a melancholy interest 

Who was appointed to the chief command of the British in Canada? — To 
what point, and for what purpose, was a detachment of this army ordered ? — 
Who was sent to command the American forces at the north, and how did ho 
snter upon hid work ? — Deticribe General Biu'goytie's progress to Fort Edward. 



140 THE WAR OP INDEPENDENCE. 

around this spot. A young lady, named Jane M'Crea, tho 
daughter of a Presbyterian minister, was visiting at the fort. Her 
brother, hearing of the approach of the British, urged her to leave 
it, and join him a few miles below. This she delayed to do, for, 
being in the house of a lady friendly to the British, and herself 
engaged to an officer in Burgoyne's army, she apprehended no 
danger. At length, her brother sent her an express command to 
join him, and she promised to do so the following day, in a batteau 
which was to take a few families down the river. 

Early in the morning, some Indians were seen stealing 

^^ towards the house : the family, in alarm, fled to the 

' kitchen, and endeavored to let themselves down through 

a trap-door into the cellar. But the Indians discovered 

Miss M'Crea and her friend, Mrs. M'Neill, and dragged them 

forth. Miss M'Crea was placed on horse-back, but Mrs. M'Neill, 

being unable to ride, was hurried along between the Indians, and 

the two parties fled towards Fort Edward. Mrs. M'Neill arrived 

first, and shortly after came the other party with scalps, among 

which she recognized the long glossy hair of her young friend. 

The Indians denied having massacred Miss M'Crea, and said 
she was killed by a bullet, fired by a party who had pursued them 
from the fort. The body of the poor girl was found near a spring, 
and the Americans, bearing it with them, evacuated the fort on 
Burgoyne's advance, and fell down the river. Her brother re- 
ceived not the sister whom he expected, but a mutilated corpse. 
Such are some of the horrors of warfare ; dreadful enough in any 
civilized nation, but more awful still, when the passions of the 
savage are aroused and employed. 

General Burgoyne took possession of Fort Edward, 

^^* but he was greatly in want of military stores, and hearing 
that the Americans had deposited some at Bennington 
(now in Vermont), he despatched Colonel Baum, with a large 
force, to seize them. 

In the meantime, the approach of Burgoyne along their western 

Repeat the story of Miss M'Crea. — IIow did Burgoyne attempt to procure 
military stores ? 



THE WAR OP INDEPENDENCE. 141 

frontier, had alarmed the New England States, and a large force 
was collecting in New Hampshire, under the command of Major 
Stark. This detachment reached Bennington just in time to en- 
counter the force sent against that place. On the sixteenth of 
August, a severe battle was fought there, in which the Ameri- 
cans were victorious, taking Colonel Baum and seven hundred 
prisoners, besides large quantities of arms and ammunition. Du- 
ring the battle, Major Stark is said to have animated his soldiers 
by exclaiming, " See there, men : there are the red-coats. Be- 
fore night they are ours, or Mary Stark is a widow I'' 
A few days after the victory at Bennington, came news 



Aug. 
1777. 



from the Mohawk, of an equally cheering character. It 
will be remembered that while Burgoyne advanced along 
Lake Champlain, Colonel St. Leger was sent against Oswego and 
Fort Schuyler. His numbers increased on the march by the 
addition of Indian allies. With a formidable army, having taken 
Oswego, he appeared before the little fort on the Mohawk, and 
demanded its surrender. 

There were seven hundred men within the garrison, and they 
had brave hearts and a brave commander, who, declining the sum- 
mons, resolved to hold out to the last. Greneral Herkimer, with 
the militia of the surrounding country, attempted to succor Col. 
Gansevoort, at Fort Schuyler, but his troops fell into an ambush 
of British and Indians, and were defeated, with dreadful slaughter : 
Colonel Herkimer was himself mortally wounded. 

Fearful now was the condition of the little garrison within Fort 
Schuyler, but there were bold as well as brave hearts there, and 
it was determined to make a desperate effort to obtain relief. One 
dark, stormy night. Colonel Willetts, with a single companion, 
stole from the fort. Creeping on their hands and knees through 
a morass, they reached the river, which they crossed on a log. lu 

What preparations were making in New Hampshire to oppose the British ? 
— Mention the battle of Bennington. — Describe St. Leger's progress to Fort 
Sohuyler. — Describe the condition of the garrison at Fort Schuyler. — What 
became of the force raised by General Herkimer for its relief? — Relate Col. 
Willetts' adventures. 



142 THE WAR OP INDEPENDENCE. 

the dark, tangled forest, they lost the narrow path, and wero 
obliged to lie still until dawn : then, pursuing a zigzag track, and 
often, Indian fashion, walking through the bed of a stream, to 
elude pursuit, they reached a place of safety, and, mounted on 
swift horses, sped to the camp of General Schuyler, at Stillwater. 

Here they made known the danger of their friends, and begged 
assistance. General Arnold, with a few hundred men, volunteered 
to march to their relief. He dared not wait for any reinforce- 
ments, lest his arrival should be too late to save the fort, nor did 
he dare, with so small a force, to encounter the larger army of 
St. Leger. He therefore hit upon a stratagem by which he made 
the British believe his army to be much larger than it really was. 
Among the prisoners taken by the Americans, was a half-witted 
boy, who was condemned to death : his mother came to Arnold 
and begged his life. 

Arnold promised it, on condition that Hon Yost (for that was 
the boy's name), should go to the British commander, and make 
him believe that the force approaching to the relief of Fort 
Schuyler was very large. This Hon Yost promised and per- 
formed. He rushed into St. Leger's camp, as. if in great terror, 
showed his coat pierced with musket-balls, and told him that the 
Americans were coming rapidly to the rescue, and that he had but 
escaped with his life. When asked their numbers, he shook his 
head mysteriously, and pointed upward to the leaves. 

St. Leger was now greatly alarmed; the more so as the Indians 
who had joined him were deserting in great numbers. He aban- 
doned the siege, and the panic spreading rapidly, the 

^^' whole army fled to their boats, and returned to Canada. 

^^ To Colonel Gansevoort and the beleaguered garrison, 
their departure seemed almost miraculous, until a few 
hours after, when Hon Yost made his way into the fort and told 
them the secret of their rescue. 

This joyful intelligence reached the American camp about the 
26th of August, but General Schuyler was no longer in command. 

AVhat relief did he obtain from the camp at Stillwater? — What stratagem 
did Arnold employ to deceive St. Leger ? — With what success ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 143 

Brave, true, and unselfish, he still had enemies. They took ad- 
vantage of his forced retreat before General Burgoyne, to preju- 
dice the mind of Congress against him. His command was taken 
from him and given to General Gates. With the nobleness be- 
longing to his character, General Schuyler offered the aid of his 
counsel to his successor. 

The success of the Americans at Bennington and Fort Schuyler, 
depressed the spirits of the British army; Burgoyne, fearing a 
retreat as the death-blow to his hopes of fame, as well as dis- 
pleasing to the government in England, pressed forward from Fort 
Edward to Stillwater, a little village on the Hudson, about nine 
miles south of Saratoga. Here the Americans were encamped, 
and here, on the nineteenth of September, was fought one of the 
severest battles of the war. Arnold was the leading spirit of the 
action, and displayed great bravery. The British lost nearly five 
hundred men, without being able to drive the Americans from 
their position. 

After the battle of Stillwater, the armies occupied their former 
positions, actively engaged in strengthening their lines, and pre- 
paring for another encounter. 

This took place on the seventh of October, and proved still 
more disastrous to the British. They lost more than four hundred 
men in killed and wounded ; one of their best and bravest com- 
manders. General Frazer, was killed, and other valuable oflScers. 

The evening following the battle. General Burgoyne felt his 
position a dangerous one, and determined to retreat, by night, to- 
wards Fort Edward. General Gates commenced a pursuit on the 
morning of the tenth, and overtook the enemy at Saratoga. Bur- 
goyne's situation was now desperate : the Americans, encouraged 
by success, were on the alert; the workmen whom Burgoyne had 

Why was General Schuyler displaced from the command of the American 
army ? — Who succeeded him ? — What effect had the American successes 
upon the British army ? — How far did Burgoyne advance ? — State the result 
of the battle of Stillwater, — When was a second battle fought, and with what 
result? — To what point did Burgoyne retreat ? — Describe Burgoyne's posi- 
tion at Saratoga. 



144 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

sent to clear the roads, were driven back into his camp; a large 
victorious army was behind him, and escape seemed hopeless. 

The British General held a council of war on the thirteenth of 
October, in which it was agreed^ that proposals for an honorable 
surrender should be made to General Gates. These were made, 
and after a few days' deliberation, the terms of surrender were 
settled, and the seventeenth of October fixed as the day. On the 
night of the sixteenth, Burgoyne received intelligence that the 
British General, Clinton, had taken Forts Clinton and Mont- 
gomery, on the Hudson, and that another party had advanced up 
the river, and burned Kingston. This news encouraged Burgoyne, 
and made him hesitate to sign the articles of surrender. General 
Gates, aware of the danger of delay, sent him word, the following 
morning, that unless the articles were immediately signed, he 
would open a fire upon him. The signature was no longer with- 
held, and, soon after, the ceremony of surrender took place. 

To spare the feelings of the enemy as much as possible, General 

Gates ordered all his own men within the camp, and there was 

but one American officer present at the scene. The British 

marched out in companies to a green in front of the old fort, 

and by the command of their officers, laid down their arms 

and emptied their cartridge-boxes. This ceremony over, 

ii.J. the two Generals were introduced, and dined together. 

' ' After dinner, General Burgoyne, in presence of both 

armies, delivered his sword to General Gates, who immediately 

restored it to him. 

The captured army numbered over five thousand men. They 
were marched to Boston, whence they were to be sent to England, 
but suspicion of an intention on the part of the British to break 
the treaty signed at Saratoga, being aroused in Congress, they 
were not permitted to embark. Four thousand of them were af- 
terwards sent to Virginia. At the close of the war, many of the 
German troops settled in America, and became useful citizens. 

Under these circumstances, what proposals did he make? — What after- 
■wards led him to waver? — What course did General Gates pursue? — De- 
scribe the ceremony of surrender. — What became of the captured British 
array ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE , 



145 




Washington at Prayer. 

The heart-cheering news from the north came like a gleam of 
sunshine across the dark prospects of suffering, which closed 
the year 1777 for the army at Valley Forge. It was during these 
trying hours, that the leader of our armies, knowing that it is 
the Lord ''who girdeth with strength unto the battle,^' sought 
Divine guidance and support for himself and his country. The 
person at whose house Washington was quartered when at Valley 
Forge, relates that one day, whilst walking in the woods, he was 
attracted by a voice, as if in supplication. He drew near, and 
saw Washington kneeling in prayer. 

IS K 



]4G THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

Besides the operations of the main armies during the campaio^a 

of 1777, several predatory expeditions were undertaken 

P^^ by both British and American parties. One of these, 

^ conducted by the British under General Tryon, laid the 

y^ town of Danbury, Connecticut, in ashes. Another, of 

the Americans, under Colonel Meigs, surprised the British 

stores at Sag Harbor, on Long Island. They destroyed the stores, 

captured ninety prisoners, burned twelve vessels, and escaped 

without the loss of a single man. 

What predator}' expedition was undertaken by the British in Connecticut ? 
Relate the expedition against Sag Harbor and its results. 



Review Questions. — Describe the surprise and attack on Princeton. — 
What effect had these successes in the Jerseys upon the spirits of the Ameri- 
cans ? — Describe the capture of General Prescott. — When, and why, did the 
British abandon New Jersey, and what was their next design ? 

What led to the battle of the Brandywine ? — Describe the retreat of Wash- 
ington and the subsequent position of both armies. 

Describe the attack on Germantown and the result. — Relate the story of 
Lydia Darrach.— What is said of Forts Mifflin and Mercer ? — Relate the at- 
tacks upon them and the results. 

Relate the designs of Burgoyne's army from Canada. — What preparations 
were made to oppose him? — Describe Burgoyne's advance to Fort Edward. 

Repeat the story of Jane M'Crea. — Describe the battle of Bennington. — 
Describe St. Leger's advance on Fort Schuyler. — Relate the story of its 
rescue ? 

Describe the battles of Saratoga and Stillwater, and the result. — Relate 
the circumstances attending the surrender of Burgoyne. 

What is said of Washington at Valley Forge ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 147 

CHAPTER XIY. 

THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (Continued.) 

*'What boding terrors gloomed the threatening hour, 
When British legions, arm'd with death-like power, 
Bade desolation mark their crimson'd way. 
And lured the savage to his destin'd prey." ^ 

1778. 

France and England, though at this time at peace, had been 
at war for centuries. It was natural, therefore, that in the war 
of our Independence France should look with a friendly eye on 
those who were fighting against her enemy. Feelings of sympathy 
had induced many Frenchmen, and among them, the young Mar- 
quis de la Fayette, to leave their own country, and come over to 
fight in the cause of America. Arms too and ammunition had 
been secretly sent to our aid by the French ; and now, when the 
news of the capture of Burgoyne reached Europe, the French 
government decided to come out openly as the friend of America, 
acknowledge her independence, and help her to fight for it. A 
treaty to this effect was made between the two countries, February 
6th, 1778. 

England was much alarmed on finding that the colonists had 
obtained the aid of so powerful an ally, and three com- 
missioners were sent over to induce the colonies to return ^„„^' 

177S 
to their allegiance. But Congress refused to listen to any 

terms which did not acknowledge our Independence or recall the 
British fleets and armies from our shores. One of the commis- 
sioners attempted to bribe General Joseph Reed to persuade Con- 

What motives led France to favor America ? — What aid had been received 
from that country ? — What effect had the capture of Burgoyne upon the French 
government? — When was the treaty made? — What effect had this upon 
England, and what attempt at conciliation was made? — With what success ? 
— Instance the patriotism of Joseph Reed. 



148 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

gress to give them a favorable hearing. He was offered ten 
thousand pounds, but the honest patriot replied, "/am not loorth 
purchasing ; hut, such as 1 am, the King of Great Britain is not 
rich enough to huy me !" In October, the commissioners returned 
to England., 

A French fleet being daily expected in the Delaware, Sir Henry 
Clinton, who had succeeded Sir William Howe, determined to 
evacuate Philadelphia, and proceed across New Jersey to New 
York. Washington, aware of his intentions, sent forward a large 
division of his army, under General Lee, to pursue the British 
and give them battle. The enemy were overtaken at Monmouth 
Court-House ; but G eneral Lee, dismayed at the sudden attack of 
the British, ordered a retreat : General Washington, arriving just 
after the retreat commenced, reprimanded General Lee for his con- 
duct, and, inspiring the soldiers with fresh courage, led them against 
the British. It was the twenty-eighth of June : the day was ex- 
cessively hot and sultry, and the battle lasted until night. During 
the day, a soldier having charge of a cannon, was shot down at 
his post : his wife, a brave young Irish woman, was at the time 
bringing him water from a neighboring spring. She saw her hus- 
band fall, and heard his commander order the piece to be removed 
from the field : instantly dropping her pail, she seized the rammer, 
and stationing herself by the gun, performed her husband's duty 
with great skill and courage throughout the action. The soldiers 
gave her the nick-name of Major Molly, and being presented to 
General Washington the day after the battle, she received a ser- 
geant's commission and half-pay, for life. 

When night closed upon the scene. Sir Henry Clinton, taking 
advantage of the darkness, continued his retreat towards New 
York, and the Americans remained masters of the field. General 
Lee was tried by a court-martial for disobedience of orders, and 
disrespect to his commander-in-chief. He was suspended from 
service a year, and did not again join the army. 

What induced Sir Henry Clinton to evacuate Philadelphia? — What was 
General Lee ordered to do ? — What was General Lee's conduct at Monmouth ? 
— What effect did the arrival of Washington produce? — Ptelato the story of 
Major Molly. — What was the result of the battle ? — On what charges was 
General Lee tried, and what was his sentence? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 149 

The French fleet, which had been sent to America under Count 
D'Estaing, disappointed the hopes of the people. Philadelphia 
having been abandoned by the British, the French Ad- 
miral sailed for New York, intending to attack that city ; ^^^' 
but as the pilots refused to bring the heavy French ships 
into the harbor, the attempt was abandoned, and the fleet sailed 
for Newport. 

To drive the British out of Newport was a favorite project in 
New England : Count D'Estaing was therefore cordially welcomed, 
and a large land force raised to co-operate with him. The 
troops under Generals Sullivan, Greene, and the Marquis „"^* 
do la Fayette, were to march down from the north end ' * 

of the island, whilst the fleet attacked the city from the harbor. 

Unfortunately, before the plan could be carried out, the Count 
D'Estaing, hearing that Admiral Lord Howe had sailed from New 
York, was tempted by the hope of a naval victory to put to sea, 
leaving the land forces to take care of themselves, A storm 
separated the two fleets, disabling several of the French ships. 
When the Admiral again appeared in Newport harbor, instead of 
aiding the troops, who, expecting his return, had continued their 
operations, he sailed to Boston to refit his fleet. The attack on 
Newport was of course abandoned. After a slight engagement at 
Quaker Hill, about eleven miles north of the city, the Americans 
made a skilful retreat. 

One of those sad stories, of which, alas ! war furnishes so many, 
will close the history of 1778. 

In Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Susquehanna, is the beau- 
tiful valley of Wyoming. The first white man who penetrated 
its shades was the Christian Missionary, Count Zinzendorf, the 
founder of the Moravian Society. He went to preach the tidings 
of salvation to the Indians; but the suspicious savages placed no 

By whom was the French fleet commanded, and what was its design upon 
reaching America ? — Why was this design abandoned ? — What was the next 
object? — What was the plan of attack on Newport? — What diverted Count 
D'Estaing from his object? — What was the result of the naval engagement? 
— What became of the attack on Newport ? — Where is Wyoming ? — By whorft 
was it first visited? — Relate the adventures of Count Zinzenc(orf. 

13* 



150 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 



faith in the words of the white man, and believing only that he 
coveted their lands, they resolved to murder him. Stealing si- 
lently to his tent, which he had pitched at the foot of a sycamore 
tree, they were struck with feelings of awe whilst they looked upon 
the calm and benevolent face of the old man as he sat reading by 
the fire. How was their awe increased when they beheld a rattle- 
snake, which the heat of the fire had drawn from its hole, glide 
harmlessly over him. They doubtless felt as did the savages 
whom St. Paul found at Melita, " who, when they saw no harm 
3ome to him, changed their minds, and said he was a god.'' So 
these Indians believed that the Moravian Missionary was under 




Count Zinzendorf and the Indians. 



the special care of the Great Spirit : their feelings of hatred were 
changed to love and reverence; they listened to his teachings, 
and a successful mission was founded among them. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. lol 

But in a few years the Moravian Missions were scattered by an 
Indian war, and a new race of white settlers peopled the valley. 
The villages which now clustered there were the fruits of the busy 
enterprise of Connecticut. The principal of them was named 
Wilkesbarre, in honor of John Wilkes and Colonel Barr^, two 
warm friends of America, who in the English Parliament had 
opposed the taxing of the colonies. Peaceful and happy were 
these settlements, when, in 1778, the storm of war burst upon 
them. 

Early in July, a band of Tories (as residents in America 
who took sides with the British were called), under Gen. ^ "^' 
John Butler, and a party of Indians, drew near the valley. 
Wyoming had sent the bravest of her men to the general army ; 
but old men and boys armed for her defence. Already two forts 
had been taken by the invaders, and the surrender of the others 
was demanded. A small force was assembled under Colonel 
Zebulon Butler, and " looking to their dependent wives, mothers, 
sisters, and little ones, they took counsel of their courage, and re- 
solved to give the enemy battle.'^ They were defeated and driven 
back : a horrible scene followed. The forts were surrrendered 
under a promise from Colonel John Butler, that life and property 
should be spared ; but he was unable to check the savage Indians, 
who burned, plundered, and murdered, rendering the valley a 
scene of desolation and ruin. The few wretched inhabitants who 
saved their lives, escaped only by a painful flight to the settle- 
ments on the Lehigh and Delaware. 

" On Susquehanna's side, fair Wyoming ! 
Although the wild flower on thy ruined wall 
And roofless homes a sad remembrance bring 
Of what thy gentle people did befall, 
Yet thou wert once the loveliest land of all 
That see the Atlantic's wave their morn restore.'* 

What became of the Moravian Missions? — What white settlers next in- 
habited the valley ? — What was their principal settlement, and why so called? 
— What enemy threatened Wyoming in the summer of 1778 ? — Why was it 
In a defenceless position ? — Who attempted its defence ? — Mention the events 
which ensued. — Repeat Campbell's lines. 



152 THE WAR OP INDEPENDENCE. 



1779. 

Weary of the fruitless effort to conquer the New England and 
Middle States, the British now sent a large force to the south, 
where they knew the American forces to be weakest. Amid the 
plantations and rice-fields of the southern colonies, the slave popu- 
lation was large, and not enlisted as soldiers ; tories too abounded, 
so that, had not the patriots there been of the bravest and the 
best, such men as Moultrie and Rutledge, and Sumpter and Ma- 
rion, the struggle for Independence might have been as hopeless 
as it was long and trying. 

At the close of 1778, Savannah had been taken, then Sunbury 
and Augusta. In fact, at the opening of 1779, Georgia was in 
the enemy's hands. The patriots fled into Carolina; the royal 
governor was restored, and for a brief space the British could 
boast once more a royal province in the colonies. 

Encouraged by these successes, the victorious General 
J^} Prevost appeared in Carolina and demanded the sur- 
' ' ' render of Charleston. The American General Lincoln 
was marching towards the Savannah to attempt the recovery of 
Augusta, when this news reached him. He immediately hastened 
to return. In the meantime. Governor Rutledge had animated 
the people to great exertions for the defence of the city. They 
were in much peril. General Prevost's force was large, and during 
the night of the eleventh of May, they hourly expected that he 
would open a cannonade upon the town. Great was their joy at 
early morning to see the enemy retreating, and to welcome General 
Lincoln, whose timely return had saved them from an attack. 

Extreme heat prevents the active operations of armies at the 

Toward what quarter did the British now turn their arms ? — Why was the 
south comparatively defenceless? — Name some of the patriots there. — What 
was the condition of Georgia early in 1779? — What city was threatened in 
May of this year? — What American General advanced to its relief? — Who 
made preparations for defence within the city ? — How were they saved from 
attack ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 153 

south during the summer. Nothing further was attempted until 
the autumn of this year. 

In the meanwhile, the miserable ravages of war were carried on 
by the troops remaining in the northern States. An expedition 
sent from New York burned Portsmouth and Norfolk in Virginia, 
whilst others, under General Tryon, ravaged and burned Nor- 
walk, Fairfield, New Haven, and other pleasant towns and vil- 
lages of Connecticut on Long Island Sound. From one of these 
expeditions, General Putnam, who commanded the American 
troops in Connecticut, narrowly escaped being made prisoner. 

He was at Horse-neck with only one hundred and fifty men, 
when General Tryon was discovered approaching the place with 
nearly fifteen hundred. Hastily forming his men, General Put- 
nam met the British, but overwhelming numbers put his troops 
to flight, and he was himself so closely pursued, that but for a 
deed of desperate daring he would have been captured. Wheeling 
his horse from the main road, when his pursuers were almost upon 
him, he galloped down the zigzag path of a precipice, leaving his 
astonished enemy to wonder at the daring of the fugitive who had 
so unexpectedly escaped. 

From his marauding expedition in Ctnnecticut General Tryon 
was brought back by the news of the capture of Stony Point. 
This exploit, one of the most brilliant in the history of the war, 
was planned by Washington and executed by General Wayne. 
Stony Point was a stronghold on the west bank of the Hudson. 
It was important because, with Yerplanck's Point opposite, it 
commanded King's Ferry, and by this ferry the great road between 
New England and the Middle States crossed the Hudson. On 
three sides Stony Point was protected by the river, and on the 
fourth, it was only approachable by a causeway over a morass. 

On the evening of the fifteenth of July, General Wayne 
formed his army about a mile and a half below the Point. "^^' 
All the dogs in the neighborhood had been previously 

Mention some of the foraging expeditions at the north this year. — Relate 
the escape of General Putnam at Horse-neck. — What recalled General Tryon 
from Connecticut? — Describe the position and consequent importance of 
Stony Point. — Who attempted its capture, and what means did ho employ? 



154 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

killed to prevent their giving the alarm. The countersign had 
been obtained from a negro, who was in the habit of entering the 
garrison to sell fruit, and strangely enough, this night it consisted 
in the words, — "The fort's our own." Towards midnight, the 
troops were put in motion : the sentinels at the causeway receiving 
unsuspiciously the watchword from the negro-guide, were seized 
and silenced before they could give the alarm. Then, in two 
separate columns, the Americans marched on to the fort. After 
a short but severe resistance, Colonel Johnson, with his garrison, 
surrendered prisoners of war. Before day-break. General Wayne 
had sent to the commander-in-chief the following report : — 

"Stony Point, 16th July, 1779. 

^'Dear Ueneral: — 
" The fort and garrison, with Colonel Johnson, are ours : our 
officers and men behaved like men who are determined to be 
free. 

'' Yours, most sincerely, 

"Anthony Wayne." 

The Americans were not able to retain Stony Point, as Sir 
Henry Clinton immediately sent large reinforcements up the river. 
The works, however, were destroyed, and the cannon and military 
stores removed, so as to render its possession of little use to the 
British. 

Shortly after the attack on Stony Point, Major Henry Lee sur- 
prised the garrison at Paulus Hook (now Jersey City), and took 
one hundred and fifty-nine prisoners, having lost only two of his 
own men in the attempt. 

Purposing to revenge the cruelties of Wyoming, Cherry Valley, 
Minnesink, and others. General Sullivan, in the harvest months 
of July and August, entered the beautiful country lying between 
the head-waters of the Susquehanna and the Gencssee, and made 
it a desolate wilderness. Gardens and grain-fields, and fruit- 

What was the result ? — Repeat General Wayne's despatch. — What became 
of Stony Point ? — What other British garrison was surprised about this time ? 
■ — By whom, and with what success ? — Where was General Sullivan ordered, 
and for what nurnose ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 135 

orchards, and flourishing villages, were laid waiite. Tories and 
Indians were driven from their homes, only .to return, when the 
storm was over, with feelings of more bitter hatred, and to inflict, 
to the end of the war, the same cruelties which had made their 
own dwellings desolate. 

To return to the south. The British possession of Georgia 
was a subject which greatly disturbed the people there, and 
when Count D'Estaing appeared with his fleet and pro- 
posed an attack on Savannah, he was joyfully received, / 
and a large land force, under General Lincoln, prepared -ir-^q 
to co-op(3rate with him. The Count approached the city, 
and demanded its surrender to the king of France. The British 
General, Prevost, requested a truce, which was granted. By the 
time the truce was ended, he was prepared to defend the city, and 
refused to surrender it. Nothing now remained for the 
French and Americans, but to endeavor to take it by o Jfc 3 
siege. The next seventeen days were spent in digging to 
trenches, raising gun-batteries, and approaching nearer Oct. 
and nearer to the British works. Count D'Estaing grew ^• 
impatient, and fearful of autumn storms and the rumored approach of 
a British fleet, he told General Lincoln that they must either take 
the place by assault, or abandon the attempt. The assault was 

resolved, and on the morning of the ninth of October, the ^ 

. Oct. 

combined armies entered Savannah. For five hours the q 

battle raged within the town. At length, the allies were 

driven back, and compelled to retreat, leaving among the dead 

the brave Polish Count Pulaski, Sergeant Jasper, and many other 

valuable oflScers and men. The close of the year saw Georgia 

still in the hands of the British. 

During July of 1779, General Washington's head-quarters 

were at West Point. The following extract from a playful letter 

written by him to Dr. Cochran, may give some idea of, perhaps, 

What was the result of this expedition ? — In September of this year what 
was proposed by Count D'Estaing? — Who co-operated with him? — Mention 
the proceedings of Count D'Estaing. — How long did the allied armies besiego 
Pnvannah? — What other propositions were made by Count D'Estaing? — 

WLich course was lulupteJ ? 



156 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

the hest stj'le of living of the Commander-in-chief of the American 
army during the war : — 

"West Point, 16tli August, 1779. 

''Dear Doctor: — 
" I have asked Mrs. Cochran and Mrs. Livingston to dine with 
me to-morrow j but am I not in honor bound to apprize them of 
their fare ? As I hate deception, even where the imagination 
only is concerned, I will. 

" Since our arrival at this happy spot, we have had a ham, some- 
times a shoulder of bacon, to grace the head of the table ; a piece 
of roast-beef adorns the foot; and a dish of beans or greens, 
almost imperceptible, decorates the centre. 

" When the cook has a mind to cut a figure, which I presume 
will be the case to-morrow, we have two beef-steak pies, or dishes of 
crabs, in addition, one on each side of the centre -lish, dividing the 
space, and reducing the distance between dish and dish to about 
six feet, which, without them, would be nearly twelve feet apart. 

"Of late, he has had the surprising sagacity to discover that 
apples will make pies ; and it is a question, if, in the violence of 
his efforts, we do not get one of apples, instead of having both 
of beef-steaks. 

"If the ladies can put up with such entertainment, and will 
submit to partake of it on plates, once tin, but now iron ';not 
become so by the labor of scouring), I shall be happy to see 
them ; and am, dear Doctor, Yours '^ 

Repeat the extract from a letter of General Washington. 



Review Questions. — What nation made a treaty with the United Statea ? 
— Rehite the results ? 

Describe the battle of Monmouth. — Relate the attemi^t on Newport, and 
its failure. 

Relate what is said of tho early history of Wyoming. — Describe the events 
which befell Wyoming during this year. 

What is said of the success of the British at the south ? — Relate the attack 
and defence of Charleston. 

What is said of the marauding expeditions at the north ? — Repeat the story 
of Putnam's escape. 

Describe the attack on Stony Point. — Describe Sullivan's expedition. — 
Describe the attack on Savannah. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 15'/ 

CHAPTER XV. 

THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (Concluded.) 

"Our band is few, but true and tried. 
Our leader frank and bold, 
The British soldier trembles 
When Marion's name is told." 

Bryant. 

178 0. 

On the twelfth of May, 1780, the city of Charleston 
fell before the combined fleet and army of the British ^^Jf 
commanders, Sir Henry Clinton and Admiral Arbuthnot. •*-'°^- 

Its brave defender, Greneral Lincoln, hoping for aid from abroad, 
and unwilling to accede to General Clinton's terms, had main- 
tained a siege of forty days. At length, the storming of the city 
was begun by land and sea. The ninth and tenth of May 
were " fearful nights in Charleston. The thunder of two ^^ 
hundred cannon shook the city like an earthquake, and -^ ' 
moon and stars were hidden by the lurid smoke. Shells 
were seen coursing in all directions, some bursting in mid-air, 
others falling upon houses and in the streets, and in five different 
places the flames of burning buildings, shot up from the depths 
of the city."* Unable to hold out any longer. General 
Lincoln surrendered, and on the morning of the twelfth ^^ 
of May the British entered the town. Shortly after. Sir ' 

Henry Clinton sailed for New York, and Lord Cornwallis 
took command of the British army at the south. 

General Lincoln, now a prisoner in Charleston, was succeeded 
in his command by General Gates, the fortunate victor of Sara- 

Who commanded the American forces at Charleston, and how long did he 
sustain a siege? — Describe the attack on the ninth and tenth of May. — 
When did the surrender take place ? — Who remained in command of the 
British forces, and who succeeded General Lincoln ? 

* liOssing. 

14 



158 THE WAR OP INDEPENDENCE. 

toga. He advanced througli the Carolinas and encountered the 
British at Camden, on the Wateree river. Here a battle 
°* was fought, in which the Americans were defeated with 
T'-cn E^^^^ ^^^^) ^^^ Cornwallis, with his victorious troops, 
pushed on towards the north, hoping to drive them en- 
tirely from Carolina. He advanced as far as Charlotte. There 
he heard that Major Ferguson, whom he had sent to ravage the 
country west of the Wateree, had been attacked by the 
Americans at King's Mountain, himself killed, and his 
' eleven hundred troops made prisoners. Cornwallis there- 
upon retraced his steps, and took up his quarters at Winns- 
boro, in South Carolina. 

Notwithstanding these partial successes, the hopes of the pa- 
triots had been well-nigh crushed, were it not, that from the banks 
of the Pedee and Catawba, the Santee and the Broad, came news 
of the brilliant exploits of Marion, Sumpter, and Lee, to cheer 
their hearts, and convince the British that though Charleston had 
fallen, and they had conquered at Camden, Carolina was not yet 
all their own. During the summer and autumn of this year, 
these partizan leaders called around them the daring spirits of 
their native districts, and by bold and active movements often sur- 
prised and cut off detachments of Cornwallis's army. So sudden 
and adroit were the surprises, and repeated at different points in 
such quick succession, that Tarleton gave to Marion the name of 
the " Swamp Fox.'' 

Marion's head-quarters were on Snow Island, at the junction 
of Lynch's creek and the Pedee. It abounds in beautiful forest 
trees, draped with the long grey moss of the southern woods. 
To this camp a young British ofl&cer was conducted on official 
business, and Marion invited him to dine. AVhen he saw roasted 
sweet potatoes served on a piece of bark and nothing besides, he 
exclaimed, " Surely, Greneral, this cannot be your ordinary fare !" 

Where did the next encounter between them take place, and with what re- 
sult ? — AVhat was Lord Cornwallis's object ? — How was he checked ? — What 
cheered the Americans ? — Describe these exploits ? — Where were Marion's 
head-quarters ? — How did he entertain a British officer ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 



159 




Marion entertaining the British Officer. 



To which Marion replied, " Indeed it is, and we are fortunate on 
this occasion, entertaining company, to have more than our usual 
allowance." Sumpter and Lee were equally self-denying, brave, 
and vigilant, and the united exertions of such leaders saved the 
south from despair. Toward the close of this year, -i^qn 
General Greene took command at the south. 

We must now turn to the north and read a dark page in the 
history of the American Revolution : — the treason of General 
Benedict Arnold. 

We have met him at Quebec, at Fort Schuyler, and at Saratoga, 
performing deeds of the bravest daring, and, perhaps, have looked 
upon him as one of the heroes of the war. Now we must follow 
him through diiferent scenes. 

General Arnold, who was still suffering from the wounds le- 

What had hitherto been the character of Arnold ? 



160 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

ceived at Saratoga, was ordered, when the British left Philadelphia, 
to that city. Shortly after his arrival, he married Miss Shipper), 
a Tory lady, aud lived in a style of extravagance, which awakened 
the suspicions and displeasure of the Pennsylvania Legislature. 
He was tried by a court-martial on the charge of pro- 

'^^' curing public money by fraudulent means. The court 
■ sentenced him to be reprimanded by the commander-in- 
chief. This sentence was executed by General Washington with 
the utmost delicacy and gentleness ', but the bad passions of Ar- 
nold were fully roused, and for money's sake, and for revenge, he 
determined to sell his country. 

He knew that West Point, a strong fortress of the Hudson 

Highlands, about sixty miles above New York, was deemed so 

important, that the British would be willing to give almost any 

Bum for its possession. He applied, therefore, for the command 

of this post, which included the stations on the river from 

^"°' Fishkill to King's Ferry. General Washington, unsus- 

' ' picious of evil, though surprised at his request, granted 
* it, aud he was ordered to West Point, August, 3d, 1780. 

For many months Arnold had corresponded with the British, 
and he now signified to Sir Henry Clinton his willingness to place 
West Point in their hands. It was planned that a British fleet 
should ascend the river, and General Arnold, having previously 
weakened the garrison and removed a link from the chain which 
stretched across the river, should deliver up the fortress on pre- 
tence of being unable to defend it. To secure this plan, it was 
important that a personal interview with Arnold should be held, 
and Adjutant General Major Andre was named by Arnold as the 
person with whom he would confer. Andre left New York for 
this purpose, instructed by Sir Henry Clinton, not to change his 
dress, nor to go within the American lines, nor to receive papers. 
Every one of these instructions the force of circumstances com- 

What was his style of living while in Philadelphia? — On what charges was 
he tried? — What was the sentence of the court-martial? — What was its 
effect upon Arnold? — For what post did he apply, and why? — What did 
Arnold propose to Sir Henry Clinton ? — Mention the details of the plan. — • 
Who was sent to confer with Arnold, and what orders did he receive ? — How 
WLic llic^u urdcrs diioleyed? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 161 

pelled him to disobey. A part of the interview was held at 
Smith's House, near Haverstraw (within the enemy's lines) ; he 
was unable to regain the " Vulture," the vessel which had brought 
him up the river, and was obliged to return by laud, in disguise, 
with the plans of the fort and other papers, concealed in his 
boot. 

Andre pursued his fatal journey as far as Tarry town, without 
interruption. Near that village he was waylaid by three country- 
men, to whom, mistaking them for British, he expressed the hope 
that they belonged to his party. On their demanding " which 
party," he incautiously replied, " the lower one," and revealed to 
them that he was a British officer. Dreadfully agitated on dis- 
covering his mistake, he showed them General Arnold's pass, and 
urged bribes and entreaties to induce them to let him go. But 
these honest patriots were not to be won, and they proceeded to 
search his person. The papers were found concealed between the 
stocking and the foot, and securing these, they carried them, with 
their prisoner, to Colonel Jameson. 

In the meanwhile, Arnold had returned to his head-quarters at 
the Beverly House, opposite West Point. 

The day fixed for his deed of guilt was the twenty- 
fourth of September, but by the providence of Him who ^^ * 

"brino-etb the wicked devices of men to naught," our * 

17S0 
country was saved from her secret foe. On the twenty- 

fourth Washington returned from Hartford, whither he had gone on 

a visit to Count Rochambeau. He had ridden that morning from 

Fishkill, and as he approached General Arnold's head-quarters, 

he turned acide to inspect some works on the river-bank, at the 

same time sending word to Mrs. Arnold not to wait breakfast for 

him, as he should be there in a short time. The party sat down 

without him. Presently a letter was brought to General Arnold : 

he opened it, confidently expecting that its contents would inform 

him that the British were advancing up the river. What was his 

What befell Andre on his journey towards New York? — Relate his inter- 
view with the three countrymen. — What was the result of it ? — When did 
Washington reach Arnold's head-quarters, and what was fixed for that day ? 
— How did Arnold learn that his treason was discovered ? 

u* 



162 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

consternation when he read these words, from Colonel Jameson 
(an American officer, commanding one of the garrisons below), 
" Major Andre, of the British army, is a prisoner in my custody.'^ 
Controlling his agitation as far as possible, he told his guests that 
important business required his attention at West Point, and 
taking a hasty leave of his wife, whom he left fainting on her 
chamber-floor, he rushed down a by-path to the water, entered his 
boat, and bidding the boatmen row with all their might, reached 
the British slot)p Vulture, in safety. 

^' Whom can we trust now ?" was the sad exclamation of Gen. 
Washington, when, a few hours later, the proofs of Arnold's 
treason were placed in his hands. 

Arnold escaped in safety to the British at New York. Andr6 
was taken to West Point, and afterwards brought to Tappan, in 
New Jersey, where a military board was appointed to examine the 
case. Every effort (excepting the only one which would have 
availed, the surrender of Arnold) was made by the British to save 
him, and great sympathy was felt for him in the American army ; 
but it was deemed necessary, by the laws of cruel war, that he 
should suffer death as a spy. This sentence was executed at 
Tappan, October 2d. 

Young, brave, and accomplished, the death of Major Andr6 
makes us feel something of the evils of war, the requirements of 
which are so dreadful, even when undertaken in a righteous cause. 
Washington's visit to Hartford had been for the purpose of 
conferring with Count Rochambcau, who had been sent by the 
French government with a force of six thousand men, to the aid 
of America. Admiral Ternay, with a second French fleet, brought 
over these land forces. 

At the close of this year, the British had two large armies in 
America. One, under Sir Henry Clinton, whose head-quarters 
were at New York ; and another, in the south, under Lord Corn- 
wallis. A detachment of Sir Henry Clinton's army, under Gen. 

Describe the scene that followed and his escape. — Repeat Washington's 
remark. — What was done with Andre ? — For what purpose had Washington 
gone to Hartford? — Describe the position of the British armies at the close 
of 17S0. 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. lG3 

Knyphausen, bad been ravaging New Jersey, and anotber, under 
Arnold, was tbreatening Virginia. Tbe American forces were 
stationed at Morristown, New Jersey, and on tbe Hudson, wbere 
General Wasbington bad bis bead-quarters. Tbeir Frencb allies 
were at Newport, fearing an attack upon tbat town ; and a division, 
under Count Lauzun, was quartered in Connecticut, 



1781. 

On tbe nortb-west frontier of tbe Carolinas, at a place, called 
from its advantages for raising cattle, tbe Cowpens, was fougbt tbe 
first battle in tbe campaign of tbis year. General Greene, soon 
after taking tbe command of tbe soutbern army, bad sent General 
Morgan to protect tbe western districts of Carolina, and watcb tbe 
movements of tbe Britisb. To intercept Morgan, Lord Cornwallis 
despatcbed General Tarleton, witb a force of eleven bundred men. 
This officer bad proved a formidable enemy to tbe partizan leaders 
of Carolina ; bis vigilance and activity rivalled tbat of Sumpter 
and Marion, and bad afforded bim frequent opportunities of cut- 
ting off parties of tbe Americans. 

He advanced towards Morgan's camp expecting to overtake bim 
on a retreat, and was surprised, tberefore, to find bim at tbe Cow- 
pens, ready for battle. Confident of victory, tbe Britisb commenced 
tbe attack : tbey were met firmly and bravely by Morgan, in 
wbose favor victory decided, and in a few bours, Tarleton fled from 
tbe field, leaving bebind bim tbree bundred killed or wounded, 
and more tban five bundred taken prisoners. 

As soon as-Lord Cornwallis heard of tbe disaster at tbe Cowpens, 
and tbat Morgan was bastening witb bis prisoners towards Vir- 
ginia, be started in pursuit, hoping to overtake and defeat Morgan, 

Describe that of the Americans. — Where did the campaign of 1781 open ? 
— Who was sent into western Carolina, and for what purpose ? — What British 
'officer was sent against him ? — What is said of Tarleton ? — What was tho 
result of their encounter? — By whom was Morgan pursued? 



164 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

before he should unite with General G-reene. A kind Providenro 
seemed to watch over the American army; Morgan succeeded in 
joining General Greene, and crossed the Catawba and Yadkin, 
whilst heavy rains rendered both of these streams impassable for 
several hours to their pursuers. Between the Yadkin and the 
Dan the pursuit was so vigorous, that although the American army 
had marched forty miles a-day, they had but just crossed the river 
when Lord Cornwallis appeared on the opposite bank. Here the 
pursuit ended, for the Dan is too deep a stream to be forded, and 
the British could procure no boats. Lord Cornwallis returned to 
Hillsboro, in North Carolina. 

General Greene re-ciossed the Dan, a branch of the Roanoke, 
on the twenty-second of February, and being reinforced by militia, 
gave battle to the British at Guilford Court House, on the fifteenth 
of March. After a bloody contest of two hours, the Americans 
were compelled to retreat, but the enemy had suffered too much 
to be able to pursue them. 

During the summer of this year, numerous encounters took 
place between the two armies. General Greene was defeated near 
Camden, and obliged to abandon an attack on Fort Ninety-Six, 
but on the other hand, Lee, Sumpter, and others, kept up the 
contest with such spirit, that by the close of the season the British 
were driven into the south-eastern corner of the State. Here, 
about sixty miles from Charleston, was fought, on the eighth of 
September, the battle of Eutaw Springs, which ended favorably 
to the Americans. After three years of hard fighting througliout 
the various districts of Carolina, the British now abandoned or 
surrendered all their posts, and retreated to Charleston. 

We now come to the last battle of the Revolution. It was 
fought at Yorktown, in Virginia, After the battle of Guilford 
Court House, Lord Cornwallis had entered this State and taken 

Who united with hira afterwards? — Was the pursuit successful? — What 
obstacles retarded the British ? — Where was the battle of March 15th fought, 
and with what result ? — Mention another battle and its result. — Relate tho 
success of General Sumpter. — Mention one of the last battles fought in South 
Carolina and its result. — With what battle did the Revolutionary War close ? 
— What British officer had entered Virginia ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. ItO 

command of the forces thero, which, in August 1781, were con- 
centrated at Yorktown. General La Fayette had been sent to 
Virginia early in the year, to protect the State from the ravages 
of General Arnold, who had destroyed the military stores at Kich- 
mond, and committed depredations in the neighborhood. 

General Washington had hoped, with the aid of the French 
land and naval forces, under Counts Rochambeau and de Grasse, 
to attack the city of New York. An intercepted letter had in- 
formed Sir Henry Clinton of this intention. Circumstances in- 
duced Washington to change his plans. Instead of attempting 
New York, he prepared to attack the British in Virginia. To 
deceive the enemy, he still kept up the appearance of a design 
against Sir Henry Clinton, and had succeeded in crossing the 
Delaware before his real intentions were suspected. It was theu 
too late for that officer to make any efficient opposition to Wasii- 
ington's southern progress. Admiral Count de Grasse had arrived 
in the Chesapeake, August 30th, and blockaded York river. 
Washington, leaving the Hudson, and being joined by the French 
detachments from New England, united with Count de Grasse 
before Yorktown, on the thirtieth of September. 

In the meantime, Sir Henry Clinton, alarmed for his army at 
the south, endeavored to counteract Washington's design by send- 
ing General Arnold into Connecticut, where he burned New 
London, and committed horrible cruelties. The British General 
also threatened New Jersey and the forts in the Hudson High- 
lauds, but his efforts were fruitless. 

On the union of the allies in Virginia, immediate arrangements 
were made for the siege of Yorktown. The first trench was dug 
on the morning of the sixth of October. At the end of ten days, 
Lord Cornwallis had formed the desperate resolution of crossing 
York river, cutting his way through the forces at Gloucester 

Who was sent to defend it? — W^hat city did Washington design to attack ? 
— AVhat did he do instead? — How did Washington prevent pursuit? — When 
did the French and American forces unite at Yorktown ? — What measures 
did Sir Henry Clinton adopt to withdraw Washington from Virginia ? — Was 
he successful ? — When, and how, was the siege of Yorktown opened ? — 
What desperate resolve was formed by Cornwallis ? 



166 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

l^oint, opposite Yorktown, and by rapid inarches, effecting an 
escape to New York. A storm of wind acd rain, rendering York 
river impassable, defeated this rash design. On the morning of 
the seventeenth, he desired a truce, and signified to Washington 
his willingness to consider terms of capitulation. It was agreed 
that the terms of surrender at Yorktown should be precisely those 
which the British had required of General Lincoln at Charleston 
the previous year. General Lincoln himself was present, having 
been exchanged the preceding November. 

The articles having been signed, the ceremony of sur 
* render took place on the afternoon of the nineteenth of 
October. The allied armies were drawn up in two columns : Gen. 
Washington and Count de Rochambeau were on horse-back, at 
the head of their respective troops. Between the two armies, the 
conquered garrison marched out, with colors cased, and laid down 
their arms. General Lincoln superintended this ceremony, and 
to him Lord Cornwallis's sword was delivered. 

Great was the joy throughout America, when the news of the 
capture of Lord Cornwallis was received. The tidings reached 
Philadelphia, where Congress was assembled, at midnight, on the 
twenty-third. They fell upon the startled ears of the slumbering 
inhabitants in the watchman's cry, "Past two o'clock, and Corn- 
wallis is taken.'' 

The battle of Yorktown ended the war, for although the British 
still held New York, Charleston, and Savannah, and a few plun- 
dering expeditions were made, no regular campaign was under- 
taken, and negotiations for peace were commenced early 
in the spring of 1782. Before the close of the year, the 
two southern cities had been given up, but New York was held 
until November of the following year. The final treaty 
of peace was signed September 8d, 1783, by commis- 
sioners who met at Paris. By it tlie United States was acknow- 
ledged as one of the independent nations of the earth. 

What prevented its accomplishment? — To what did Cornwallis at length 
accede ? — What terras of surrender were adopted ? — When did it take place, 
and describe the ceremony ? — What was the effect of this event throughou 
the land ? — What cities remained in the handcj of the British ? — When wcra 
they surrendered ? — When, and where, was the treaty of peace si'nied ? 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 167 



NAVAL WARFARE, 

At the commencement of the War of Independence, the colo- 
tiists had not a single armed vessel along their extensive line of 
sea-coast. Yet, within a month of the skirmish at Lexington, 
came the news that a party of young men at IMachias, on the coast 
of Maine, had captured the " Margaretta,'' a British armed 
schooner, engaged in shipping lumber. The same party secured 
two other prizes, and having taken them to Massachusetts, that 
colony immediately fitted out five or six armed vessels to cruise 
along the New England coast. 

In the autumn of 1775, Congress ordered seventeen vessels to 
be built, and appointed a committee of marine. Besides the 
vessels ordered by Congress, there were a great many privateers, 
or vessels fitted out by private individuals. The object of this 
little navy was to intercept and capture British transport ships, 
and so diligently did they set about it, that in the course ^^ 
of three months, the New England vessels alone, had ' ' * 
taken thirty prizes. One of the first naval flags bore the device 
of a rattlesnake, with the motto, " Don't tread on me." 

Among the bravest commanders during the war, was John Paul 

Jones. He was a Scotchman by birth, but entered the American 

Navy, and distinguished himself on board the first squadron which 

left the coast of the United States to attack the British fleet: 

durin£f the second year of the war, he entered the harbor 

• • • I 77n 

of Newport with sixteen prizes. The commanders of 

other vessels were equally active. At the close of 1777, the 

Americans had captured four hundred and sixty-seven merchant- 

What is said of the want of armed vessels at this time ? — When, and by 
•whom, was the "Margaretta" taken ? — What other prizes followed, and how 
were they disposed of? — What measures did Congress take to provide vessels 
of war? — What other vessels were fitted out, and with what object? — With 
what success did they meet? — Who was Paul Jones, and how did he distin- 
guish himself? — What prizes had the American vessels taken at tie close of 
1777? 



168 THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 

men, in defiance of the seventy war vessels stationed by the 
British on our coast. 

In April, 1778, Captain John P. Jones appeared in the 
British seas : he entered an English port, took the fort, 
destroyed the guns, and departed, after setting fire to one of the 
vessels lying in the harbor. The flames spread, and threatened to 
destroy all the other shipping, but they were finally extinguished, 
and the daring John Paul sailed away, leaving the inhabitants of 
the coast deeply impressed with the terror of his name. His next 
exploit was to attempt the capture of the Earl of Selkirk at his 
residence, near the mouth of the river Dee. The Earl's absence 
saved him, but the house was robbed of valuable plate by some of 
the sailors. Jones afterwards obtained this plate, and sent it to 
Lady Selkirk, with a letter of apology and regret. From Scot- 
land, Jones sailed to Carrickfergus, on the Irish coast, where he 
captured the ship of war "Drake," and, after obtaining other prizes, 
returned to Brest, a French port. 

In the year 1778, the treaty with France was made, and the 
aid of her navy animated the hearts and hopes of American sea- 
men. In the summer of 1779, a little squadron of five 

' * ships, the Bonhomme Richard (named for Franklin's 
"Poor Richard"), Alliance, Pallas, Cerf, and Vengeance, were 
placed under the command of Captain John Paul Jones, and sent to 
the coast of Scotland. His crew was a motley assemblage of Euro- 
peans, Americans, and even Malays. After a variety of adven- 
tures in the British seas, this little squadron encountered a fleet 
of forty merchantmen, escorted by two English men-of-war, the 
" Serapis," and " Countess of Scarborough." Captain Jones 
gave them chase, and coming up with the " Serapis," a desperate 
fight commenced between her and the " Bonhomme Richard." 

The two vessels were lashed together, and as the conflict grew 
more fierce, the men fought hand to hand with pistols, pikes, and 

Relate the exploit of Captain Jones in May, 1778. — What was his next at- 
tempt? — What capture did ho make on the Irish coast? — When was the 
treaty with France made? — What squadron was committed to Captain Jones, 
«ind when? — What fleet did he encounter? — Describe the conflict that 
followed. 



I 



THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 169 

cutlasses. The "Bonhomme Richard" was pierced by- 
balls and rapidly filling with water, and three several times P*' 
both ships were on fire : at the end of little more than Z. 
two hours, the " Serapis," and shortly after, the " Countess -'-'''^^• 
of Scarborough," struck their colors, and surrendered. The crew 
of the '^Bonhomme Richard" was conveyed to the other ships, 
and in a few hours more, the gallant vessel went down. This 
battle occurred oflf the English coast, not far north of the mouth 
of the river Humber, ofi" Flamborough Head. 

This was in 1779. Many other naval battles were fought during 
the Revolution, but none more terrible than this. It has been 
stated that, in the course of the war, the American cruisers cap- 
tured eight hundred and three vessels, and seized merchandise 
amounting to more than eleven millions of dollars. 



What number of vessels and amount of property was taken by the Ameri- 
cans during the war ? 



Review Questions. — Describe the attack on Charleston. — Relate the 
events which followed. — What is said of the patriots at the south ? — Relate 
the story of Marion and the British officer. 

Give the history of Benedict Arnold's treason. — Relate the story of Andre's 
capture. 

What was the arrangement of the forces at the close of 1780 ? 

Relate the first encounter of 1781. — Describe the pursuit of Morgan and 
Greene by Cornwallis. — Describe the battle of Guilford Court-House. — What 
other skirmishes at the South, and their results ? 

What forces were in Virginia ? — What did Washington plan ? — Describe 
his advance to Yorktown. — By whom was he aided ? — Relate the events 
which led to the surrefader at Yorktown. — Describe it. 

What were the closing events of the war ? — When, and where, was peace 
signed. 

When, and by whom, was the "Margaretta" captured ? — What success had 
the New England vessels of war ? 

Who was John Paul Jones ? — Describe the capture of the "Serapis" and 
" Countess of Scarborough." 

What is said to have been the number of vessels, and amount of merchRn- 
dise, captured by American cruisers during the war ? 

15 



l.'O WASHINGTON AND THE CONSTITUTION. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

WASHINGTON AND THE CONSTITUTION. 

<^*And when the storm of war was gone, 
Enjoyed the peace your valor won." 

HOPKTNSON. 

On the nineteenth of April, 1783, just eight years after the 
battle of Lexington, peace was proclaimed. 

The war was at an end, but the miseries and evils which follow 

-^^- in its train, were far from being ended. The next few 

' years are among the darkest in American history. The 

_ ^gQ country was exhausted : agriculture, commerce, and the 

fisheries, had been neglected ; a debt of forty millions of 
dollars had been contracted, and Congress had no money to pay 
it. The troops, when they received any pay at all, had received 
it in paper money issued by Congress. This money had grown 
less and less in value, until it was hardly worth a hundredth part 
of its original amount. The army began to fear lest they should 
be disbanded and sent to their homes unpaid. The spirit of dis- 
content ran high. An address was circulated in the division 
stationed at Newburgh, suggesting violent measures against Con- 
gress, should it refuse to satisfy their demands. 

Washington, who felt deeply the wrongs of the army, 

yet whose noble spirit was grieved that they should tarnish 
their fair fame by deeds of violence, used all his influence to calm 
their excited feelings, and succeeded, in a great measure, in qui- 
eting their fears. In November, the army was finally disbanded. 
Washington, after taking an afiecting farewell of his oflScers in 
New York, resigned to Congress his commission, and returned to 

Recite the motto. — When was peace proclaimed ? — Describe the state of 
the country at the close cf the war. — Why werf^ the soldiers dissatisfied ? — 
How did their discontent show itself at Newburgh!' — How did Washington 
feel, and act, with regard to the soldiers ? — When was the army disbanded ? 
— What course did Washington then take ? 



WASHINGTON AND THE CONSTITUTION. 171 

his home at Mount Vernon, which he had seen but once during 
the war. 

From its quiet happiness, so refreshing to his spirit, he writes, 
" I feel now, us I conceive a wearied traveler must do, who, after 
treading many a painful step with a heavy burden on his shoul- 
ders, is eased of the latter, having reached the haven to which all 
the former were directed ; and from his housetop is looking back, 
and tracing, with an eager eye, the meanders by which he escaped 
the quicksands and mires which lay in his way; and into which 
none but the all-powerful Guide and Dispenser of human events 
could have prevented his falling.'^ 

Washington deeply deplored the evils gathering round his coun- 
try, and it is to his wise counsels and unwearied eflPorts, that, under 
God, we owe our deliverance from them. By the War of Inde- 
pendence, debts had been incurred to the army, to foreign govern- 
ments, and to individuals, who had loaned large sums. Congress 
had no means of paying these debts, unless the separate thirteen 
States would raise the money. This the States were most back- 
ward in doing, partly from inability, but more because they were 
jealous of Congress, and unwilling to place too much power in its 
hands. There was in truth no government that deserved the 
name : Congress could not keep its engagements, and foreign na- 
tions would not make treaties of commerce with us, because of 
our disunited condition. "We are,'^ said Washington, "one 
nation to-day, and thirteen to-morrow,— who will treat with us on 
these terms?" 

In New England, large bodies of unprincipled men, taking ad- 
vantage of the weakness of government, refused to pay the taxes,, 
invaded the courts of justice, and threatened openly to overturn 
the government. General Lincoln was sent against them, and 
succeeded in putting down this formidable insurrection, generally 

What did he write of his own feelings after reaching his home ? — How did 
he continue to benefit his country?— What debts had been incurred during 
the war? — What means were there of paying them? — Why did not the 
States at once raise the money ? — What was the condition of the government? 
— What did Washington say of it ? — What disorders occurred in New Eng- 
land ? — Who was sent to put down the rebellion ? 



172 WASHINGTON AND THE CONSTITUTION. 

known (from the name of the leader) as Shay's Rebellion. This 
outbreak opened the eyes of many to the necessity of strength- 
ening the hands of Congress. 

A meeting to take into consideration the condition of 

trade, had been appointed at Annapolis for the month of 
September. When assembled, it was found that little could be done 
without the co-operation of more States, and also, that it would be 
necessary to alter ^' the Articles of Confederation." These were 
the only bond of union between the States : they had been framed 
in 1777, and had answered the purpose during the war, but were 
found totally inadequate to the present state of affairs, It was 
therefore proposed to hold a Convention the following May, at 
Philadelphia, for the purpose of forming a more complete union 
of the States. A resolution to this effect was afterwards offered in 
Congress, and carried. 
^ wQ^ In the old State-House in Philadelphia, the same which 

had witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence, representatives from every State, excepting Rhode 
Island, met on the twenty-third of May, 1787, to revise the "Ar- 
ticles of Confederation.'' Washington was there as its President, 
and Franklin, who had so warmly advocated union in the old colonial 
times, at the Albany Convention, of 1754. Many and wise were 
the counsellors, but a difficult task lay before them. 

Every State had its own interests. Even good men are not 
always ready to obey the command, " Look not every man on his 
own things, but every man also on the things of others." Months 
passed by, and still no plan was agreed upon. Often it seemed 
doubtful, amid so many contending interests, whether they ever 
would unite. In one of these threatening hours, Franklin rose, 
and reminding the members of the Convention that " God governs 
in the affairs of men," he told them " that without His aid they 

By what name is this insurrection known ? — What good resulted from it? 

— When, and where, was a meeting held upon the subject of trade? — What 
difficulties were in its way ? — What is said of the "Articles of Confederation?" 

— What new Convention was recommended? — When, and where, did it 
meet ? — Of ^vhat was it composed ? — What distinguished men were members 
of it ? — What hindered their united action ? — What did Franklin say of their 
need of Divine aid ? 



WASHINGTON AND THE CONSTITUTION. 173 

should succeed no better in their political building, than the 
builders of Babel/' for "except the Lord build the house, they 
labor in vain that build it ;" he moved, therefore, " that hence- 
forth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing, 
should be made every morning before proceeding to business.'' 
Although for some reason this proposition was not carried out, it 
shows the spirit which animated some of the great men of that day. 

Soon, the old "Articles of Confederation" were cast aside, and 
the draft of a new Constitution was written. Long, ably, and 
warmly, was every article discussed. There were two parties in 
the Convention and throughout the land. The one sought to in- 
crease the powers of the general government, and to place in its 
hands an authority designed to strengthen the union abroad and at 
home. These were the Federalists and friends of the new Con- 
stitution. The other party were jealous of too much power being 
given to the general government ; they feared a monarchy, and 
desired that the governing power should rest with the individual 
States. These were the Anti-federalists, and for the most part, 
urgent in modifying the proposed Constitution. 

At length, on the seventeenth of September, 1787, the repre- 
sentatives in the Convention having signed the Constitution, it 
went forth to obtain the sanction of the individual States. Here, 
again, its fate became very doubtful. It was not until the year 
1790, that the last State of the old Thirteen, Rhode Island, gave 
in her consent to the Constitution. Eleven of the States, how- 
ever, ratified it within a year, and the consent of nine was suffi- 
cient for its adoption. The day fixed for it to take effect, was the 
fourth of March, 1789. 

Of course, in the choice of a Chief Magistrate, provided by 
the Constitution, all hearts turned towards Washington, and by the 
unanimous voice of the people, he became their first President. 
John Adams was chosen Vice President. 

What resolution did he offer? — What new course was then taken? — What 
parties were there in the Convention ? — What objects did the Federalists seek 
to effect ? — What is said of the other party ? — When was the new Constitu- 
tion signed ? — How was it received by the States ? — When did it take effect ? 
— Who were chosen the first President and Vice President? 

15* 



174 Washington's administration. 

WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(From April 30th, 1789, to March 4th, 1797.) 

Intelligence of his election reached General "Washington on 
the fourteenth of April, 1789. With many a painful feeling of 
regret he left Mount Vernon, to plunge once more amid the cares 
of public life. His friends and neighbors expressed in warmest 
terms their feelings at losing him again from their midst. " The 
first and best of citizens," said they, in a farewell address, " must 
leave us : our aged must lose their ornament ; our youth, their 
model; our agriculture, its improver; our commerce, its friend; 
our infant academy, its protector ; and our poor, their benefactor. 
****** rpQ j-jj^i^ Being, who maketh and unmaketh 
at His will, we commend you ; and after the accomplishment of 
the arduous business to' which you are called, may He restore to 
us again, the best of men, and the most beloved fellow-citizen. '^ 

Such were the good wishes which followed this truly great man 
from the valley of the Potomac, and all along his course many 
" rose up to call him blessed. '^ At Trenton, over the little stream, 
rendered memorable by the campaign of 1776, was thrown an 
arch, wreathed with garlands of flowers and laurels, and on it, in 
large gilt letters, the inscription, " The Defender of the Mothers, 
icill he the Protector of the Daughters.^' Matrons, and maidens, 
and children, came forth to meet him, bearing baskets and gar- 
lands of flowers, to scatter at his feet. He approached New 
York, then the seat of government, in a barge of thirteen oars, 
accompanied by boats gaily decorated and bands of music, and 
when he landed at Murray's wharf, the roar of cannon and joyful 
acclamations of the multitude rent the air. 

On the thirtieth of April, the ceremony of inauguration took 

What was the period of Washington's administration ? — With what feelings 
did he leave his home for public life? — Recite the words of his friends and 
neighbors when he again left them ? — How was he received at Trenton ? — 
How did he approach I^Tew York ? — How was he received there ? — When 
waa he inaugurated ? 



Washington's administration. 175 




Washington's Reception at Trenton. 

place. On the balcony of the old Federal Hall, Chancellor 
Livingstone administered to Washington the oath by which he swore 
to uphold the Constitution of the United States. The glad shouts 
of the people testified the feelings with which they regarded their 
first President. This ceremony over, they went in procession 
to St. Paul's Church, and there prayed for God's blessing on the 
new government. 

At the commencement of Washington's administration, the' 
condition of the country was a trying one. The treasury was 
empty; the Indians on the northern and western frontiers hostile; 
the pirates of the Barbary States attacked our ships in the Medi- 
terranean, and condemned many an American citizen to the hor- 
rors of slavery or an Algerine dungeon ; Spain refused to let us 

Describe the ceremonies of that occasion. — Relate the difficulties under 
which "Washington's administration commenced. 



176 Washington's administration. 

navigate the Mississippi, and England, although Mr. Adams bad 
been sent thither as the representative of the United States, at 
the close of the war, had made no treaty of commerce with us, 
and sent no minister to our country. Between the two countries 
mutually bitter feelings had grown up, each accusing the other of 
a non-observance of the late treaty. Added to these, the efforts 
of the French to involve us in aid of their revolution, were 
a fruitful source of anxiety for many years. 

To overcome these difficulties, Washington applied 
all the powers of his excellent judgment and ardent love 
of country. A cabinet, composed of the heads of the State, 
Treasury, and War Departments, and the Attorney-General, all wise 
and able men, aided him in this work. Mr. Jefferson was Secretary 
of State, Mr. Hamilton of the Treasury, General Knox at the head 
of the War Department, and Mr. Randolph, Attorney-General. 

The first difficulty to be met was the payment of the 
' public debt. Mr. Hamilton proposed a plan for accom- 

plishing this, which, after a great deal of opposition in Congress, 
was adopted : that it was a wise plan, was soon proved by the in- 
creased prosperity of the country. A United States' Bank was 
established at Philadelphia, in 1791, and a national mint, from 
which the first coin was issued in 1792. Vermont, which had 
been claimed by New Hampshire and New York, became inde- 
pendent, and in 1791, was admitted into the Union, the first 
addition to the old Thirteen. 

To the mode of raising money by taxation great oppo- 
' sition was made. In western Pennsylvania, the inhabi- 
tants so violently resisted the tax levied on ardent spirits, as almost 
to threaten the overthrow of the government. They rose against 
the inspectors and the marshall, obliged them to desist from all 
attempts to collect the tax, and even threatened them with death. 
To put down this formidable rebellion, generally known as the 

How did he endeavor to overcome them ? — Of whom was his Cabinet com- 
posed ? — What was the first difficulty to be met? — Who proposed the plan 
for paying the debt ? — What proved it to have been a wise one ? — What in- 
Btitutions were established at Philadelphia ? — What mode of raising money 
was opposed ? — What is said of the opposition in western Pennsylvania ? 



WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 177 

" Whiskey Insurrection," Congress sent an army under General 

Henry Lee. On the approach of the troops, the rioters retired, 

and finding they had not the support, as they had hoped, of the 

people throughout the Union, in their rebellion, they laid down 

their arms and submitted to the government. 

The Indians on the frontier were a constant source of ^ 

danger to the inhabitants of the west. All the horrors ' 

... . . .to 

of Indian hostility were sufi'ered; the midnight surprise 

of the forest settlement, the cruel massacre, and the tor- 
ture yet more cruel. Three armies were at different times sent 
against the Miamis and north-western tribes; the first, under 
General Harmar, and the second, under General St. Clair, were 
defeated by the Indians ; but at length, after the war had been 
carried on for five years. General Wayne succeeded in making a 
treaty with these savage neighbors, and our western country was 
left to thrive for many years unmolested by Indian hostility. 

With the Dey of Algiers, the most formidable of the Barbary 
powers, negotiations were entered into in 1795, which protected 
our infant commerce, and the autumn of the same year witnessed 
a treaty with Spain, by which its claims upon our western States 
were abandoned, and the navigation of the Mississippi thrown 
open to us. 

But of all the countries whose relations with the United States 
perplexed the mind of the President and his Cabinet, none caused 
more trouble than France and England. The people of France, 
roused by a sense of the wrongs which had oppressed them for 
centuries, and animated by the prospects of our happy Republic, 
threw off the yoke of monarchy, and hoped for happiness and 
freedom. But alas ! their efforts were accompanied by many and 
fearful crimes : their King, Louis XVI., and his lovely Queen, 

By what name is this rebellion known ? — How was it suppressed ? — What 
troubles were suffered from the Indians ? — What measures were taken against 
them? — Who were the commanders of these armies? — Who finally suc- 
ceeded in making a treaty with the Indians ? — What treaty was made with 
Algiers, and when ? — What treaty was made with Spain the same year ? — 
With what countries were the greatest difficulties encountered ? — Why had 
the people of France thrown off their monarchy? — What crimes had they 
ccmmitted in their efforts for freedom ? 

M 



178 WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

Marie Antoinette, were guillotined, thousands perished by the 

same fearful death, and many of the nobles fled from their country. 

At last, France declared war against England, Spain, 

and Holland. All Europe became involved in the fearful 

wars of the French Revolution. 

In America, where the people saw nothing of the horrors of 
the French Revolution, and looked upon it only as the struggle 
of friends and allies for the same freedom they had aided us in 
obtaining, there was felt the strongest sympathy for France, and 
no little animosity towards England. Washington's far-sighted 
wisdom saw the evils, and although he hoped that good might 
be brought out of them at last, he felt it was neither the duty nor 
the interest of the United States to aid the French Revolutionists. 
The aid which we had received in our time of need came not from 
these Revolutionists, but from the government which they had 
overthrown. No claim of gratitude could be brought by them 
against us. 

When Mr. Gi-enet came to this country as the representative of 
the Republic of France, he was received with the warmest enthu- 
siasm by the people. Taking advantage of this state of feeling, 
and utterly regardless of the President's proclamation of neu- 
trality, Genet authorized the fitting out of privateers from this 
country, to attack the commerce of Great Britain j a country with 
which we were at peace. Many British prizes were actually cap- 
tured, and brought into our ports by these privateers. At length, 
Mr. Genet threatened to appeal from the Government to the 
people, of whose entire sympathy he thought himself sure. This 
threat roused all their patriotism, and also their respect for the 
President, and Mr. Genet's influence at once declined. 

During all these events, our government was endeavoring to 
negotiate a commercial treaty with England. But the state of 

What nations became at war with France ? — How did the Americans regard 
the French Revolution ? — What did Washington think about aiding the 
French? — Were the Americans under obligations to the Revolutionists? — 
Who was Mr. Genet, and how was he received in the United States ? — What 
improper course did he pursue ? — What threat did he make ? — What effect did 
this threat produce ? — What object was the government trying to accomplish f 



Washington's administration, 179 

feeling throughout the United States towards France made this a 
very difficult matter. The anti-Federalists, now a large and strong 
party, opposed everything like a treaty with England, as a wrong 
done to France. 

Over all these difficulties, the calm wisdom of Washington 
finally triumphed. Domestic discontents were quelled. The year 
1795 witnessed treaties with the Indians, with Algiers, with 
Spain, and Jay's treaty with England. Mr. Genet was recalled 
during Washington's administration, and neutrality towards France 
was observed. The treaty with England, however, greatly in 
censed the French people, and during the next administration 
threatened serious difficulties. 

At the close of his second term, Washington, refusing 
to be re-elected, retired, followed by the blessings and 
gratitude of his country, to the quiet of his home at Mount 
Vernon. 



Why was it a difficult one ? — What party opposed the treaty, and why ? — 
What is said of Washington under these difficulties ?~ What treaties were 
formed in 1795 ?— How did Washington's administration act towards France? 
— How did the French regard the treaty with England ? — When did Wash- 
ington retire from office ? — With what feelings was he regarded by his country ? 



Review Questions. —What was the condition of the country and of the 
army at the close of the war? — When was the army disbanded? — What 
debts had been incurred, and what is said of the difficulty of paying them? 

What led to the Convention for framing the Constitution, and when, and 
where, did it meet? — What was framed ? — Describe the two political parties 
in the land. — When was the Constitution signed? — When was it adopted? 

Describe Washington's journey from Mount Vernon to New York, and hia 
inauguration.— Describe the condition of the country at the time of his inau- 
guration. — What was the first difficulty, and how was it overcome ? — Describe 
the " Whiskey Insurrection." 

How were the Indians subdued? — What was the condition of affiiirs in 
France at this time ? — What was the feeling in the United States towards 
France ? — Describe Mr. Genet's course in this country. 

Mention the treaties made in 1795. — What is said of Washington in 1797 ? 



ISO 



CHAPTER XYII. 

FllOM ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION TO THE PEACE OF 1815. 

""While with patriot pride, 
To our laws we're allied, 
No foe can subdue us, no faction divide." 

R. T. Paine. 

'.^r.^j John Adams succeeded Washington as President of 

the United States, and Thomas Jefferson was elected Vice 
President. 

The recent treaty with England gave such displeasure to 
France as very nearly to bring on a war with our former friend 
and ally. The French government refused to receive the ambas- 
sadors of the United States ; but it was hinted to them, that if 
money were paid by the United States to France, the latter would 
be more likely to enter into negotiations. To this unworthy sug- 
gestion, Mr. Pinckney (one of the ambassadors), nobly replied, 
" Millions for defence, but not one cent for tribute." Two of our 
ministers were ordered to leave France, and the third (Mr. Gerry), 
only permitted to remain, because, being an anti-Federalist, he 
was supposed to be favorable to that country. 

Preparations for war were made, and General "Wash- 
ington once more summoned from Mount Vernon to take 
command of the armies of his country. But the storm of war 
was mercifully averted. In the autumn of 1799, Napoleon Bo- 
naparte- overthrew the existing government of France, and took 
the control of affairs into his own hands. 

Who were the second President and Vice President of the United States ? 
— What cause threatened a war with France ? — How did the French govern- 
ment treat the United States' ambassador ? — What hint did they give ? — How 
did Mr. Pinckney reply to it? — What further acts were committed towards 
the luinisters of tho United States ? — What call was again made upon Genaral 
Washington ? — How vTas the threatened war averted ? 



ADAMS's ADMINISTRATION. 181 

One of his first acts was to receive the commissioners, 
and enter into a treaty with the United States. When 
the bearers of this treaty reached America, they found no heart 
for war. The spirit of party, the bitterness of Federalist and 
anti-Federalist was hushed, and the united nation mourned at the 
grave of Washington ; the man whom they delighted to own as 
*' first in peace, first in war, and first in the hearts of his coun- 
trymen/' Washington had died at Mount Vernon, on the four- 
teenth of December, 1799. 

In the summer of 1800, the seat of government was removed 
from Philadelphia, and in the following March, the third -tnr.^ 
President, Thomas Jefferson, was inaugurated in the new 
Capitol at Washington. The following year, the Spanish GrO- 
vernor of Louisiana refused to admit United States' vessels into 
the port of New Orleans ; but the threatened cloud passed over. 
Louisiana having been ceded to France, Napoleon Bonaparte, in 
1803, sold it to our government for fifteen millions of dollars. 
Of this sale. Napoleon is said to have remarked : " This accession 
of territory strengthens forever the power of the United States, 
and I have just given to England a maritime rival which will 
sooner or later humble her pride." 

The treaty which had been made with the Barbary powers, in 
1795, had provided that the United States should pay an annual 
sum of money for the protection of our commerce in the Medi- 
terranean Sea. One of these piratical powers, Tripoli, had grown 
more and more insolent in her demands, until our government re- 
fused any longer to make the payment agreed upon. The Governor 
(or Bashaw as he was call^) then declared war against the Uaited 
States, and our little Navy, under Commodore Preble, was sent 

"When wti/S a treaty made with France ? — What had silenced the spirit of 
party ? — AVhen was the seat of government removed from Philadelphia ? — ■ 
Who was the third President of the United States ? — Where was the new 
seat of government ? — What trouble arose with Spain ? — How was it settled? 

— How much was paid for Louisiana ? — What did Napoleon say of the sale ? 

— What had been agreed upon in the treaty with the Barbary States ? — Why 
did the United States refuse to make the payment? — What was the conse- 
quence ? — Who was the commander of the navy at this time ? 

16 



182 



JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 



to the Mediterranean. The "Philadelphia/' commanded by 
Captain Bainbridge, grounded in the harbor of Tripoli : she was 
captured; and her crew reduced to slavery. 

la February of this year, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur 
' performed the brave exploit of destroying this vessel, 
which was guarded by a Tripolitan crew, and moored under the 
very guns of the castle. With a few brave companions, he boldly 
ventured into the harbor, boarded the " Philadelphia," killed the 
men who guarded her, set her on fire, and escaped from the 




Burning of the " Philadelphia." ^ 

burning vessel without losing a man. This brave defence of our 
commerce alarmed the Bashaw. This alarm was increased by an 
event which occurred the next year. In the spring of 1805, his 
elder brother, Hamet (the rightful heir to the throne of Tripoli), 
aided by the American consul at Tunis, marched across the Libyan 

Where was be sent? — What disaster occurred at Tripoli? — Relate the ex- 
ploit of Lieutenant Decatur. 



Jefferson's administration. 183 

desert to assert his rights. After two disastrous battles with this 
force, the Bashaw made a treaty of peace. 

For ten years longerj however, our commerce suffered in the 
Mediterranean from the Barbary pirates. It was not until the 
year 1815, during Madison's administration, that the final treaty 
was made, which secured our commerce from their attacks. la 
that year. Commodore Decatur defeated the Algerine fleet, 
compelled the Barbary powers to pay large sums for the injury 
they had done, and to give up, by treaty, all claim to tribute from 
the United States in future. 

During the second term of Jefferson's administration, 
beginning in 1805, a conspiracy, planned by one once 
high in office and station, threatened the safety of the Union. 
The author of this conspiracy was Aaron Burr, a bold, unprinci- 
pled man. During Jefferson's first administration. Burr had been 
Vice President of the United States, but had fallen into contempt 
for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Hoping to mend his 
desperate fortunes. Burr fled to the far west, and there sought to 
found an empire, over which he might rule. He was arrested in 
the Mississippi territory by order of the President, brought 
to Richmond, and tried ; no sufficient evidence of his 
designs being found, he was acquitted. 

The whole of Mr. Jefferson's second term was a time of anxiety 
and trial. The Emperor Napoleon was at the height of his 
power, and England was opposing all her strength to resist him. So 
intent were these two nations upon injuring each other, that they 
paid little regard to the rights or interests of other countries not 
engaged in the war. The British government issued " Orders," 
and the French Emperor replied by ^^ Decrees," forbidding the 

What led to a treaty of peace with the Bashaw? — How long did our com- 
merce continue to suffer from the Barbary pirates ? — Who finally defeated the 
Algerine fleet ? — What did he compel them to do ? — What conspiracy was 
formed iu 1805 ? — What was the character and standing of Aaron Burr? — 
What is said of his object and designs? — When, and by whom, was he ar- 
rested? — What was the result of his trial ? — What is said of Mr. Jefferson's 
second term ? — What nations were fiercely opposing each other ? — What was 
the consequence to other countries ? — What " Orders" and " Decrees" wero 
issued ? 



184 Madison's administration. 

ships of neutrals to enter the ports, or engage in trade with their 
respective enemies. By these regulations, nearly all the ports 
of Europe were closed against the United States. Between these 
contending powers our commerce was well-nigh ruined. When- 
ever an American vessel ventured on the high seas, it was exposed 
to attack by English or French cruisers. 

To these unjust " Orders/' England added the wrong of claim- 
ing to search American vessels, and impress into her service all 
sailors on board who might be of English birth. Mistakes were 
often made, and American and naturalized citizens forced on board 
English ships. Such was the state of affairs at the close of Jef- 
ferson's administration. 



Mr. Madison became President in March, 1809. Early 
' in this year hopes of more friendly relations with France 
and England were entertained, but they proved false, and the 
causes of complaint still continued. 

During this year, the Shawnee Indians were stirred up 

* to hostility by British agents, and, under their noted 
Chief, Tecumseh, threatened deeds of desolation against the 
western settlements. General Harrison, the Governor of Indiana 
Territory, a brave soldier, was sent against them, and defeated 
them in the battle of Tippecanoe. This was fought in the north- 
west part of Indiana, where the river Tippecanoe falls into the 
Wabash. 

This act of hostility on the part of Great Britain, to- 

* gcther with continued aggressions on the commerce of 
the United States, roused a hostile spirit throughout every section 

What was their effect upon American commerce ? — What additional wrong 
did England inflict? — What was the effect of this? — When did Mr. Madi- 
son's administration commence ? — What hopes were indulged, and how did 
they prove ? — What Indians were excited to hostility in 1812, and by whom? 

Who was their Chief? — Who defeated them? — Where was the battle 

fougbt ? — What was the effect of this and other acts of Great Britain ? 



MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION, 



185 



of the Union, excepting New England. This part of the country, 
being largely engaged in commerce, dreaded hostilities as injurious 
to her interests. On the eighteenth of June, 1812, war with 
Great Britain was declared. 

General Dearborn was appointed Commander-in-chief of the 
American forces, and the operations of this war of three years 
may be divided into — 1st. The campaign on the northern fron- 
tier of the United States. 2d. The war on the ocean ; and 3d. 
The attacks upon the eastern and southern sea-bord. The first 
event of the war was disastrous. General Hull was ordered to 
invade Canada, but fearing the approach of a superior force, he 
retreated to Detroit, which place, on the approach of thirteen 
hundred British and Indians he surrendered, without attempting 
to defend. 

The following year, however, this loss was repaired. - 
Large forces were stationed all along the northern fron- 
tier, from Lake Champlain to the head of Lake Erie. The British 
forces which had invaded Michigan and Ohio were repulsed with 
great loss to the enemy, and Commodore Perry, on the tenth of 
September, engaged the British fleet on Lake Erie. The result 
of the battle is briefly told in Commodore Perry's despatch : " We 
have met the enemy, and they are ours.'' This victory, giving 
them the command of the Lake, enabled the Americans to land 
forces in Michigan for the recovery of Detroit. 

This was accomplished by General Harrison, the hero of Tip- 
pecanoe. After leaving a garrison in the town, he pursued the 
enemy. Coming up with them near a Moravian settlement on 
the banks oi the river Thames, in Canada West, he fought a 
battle, in which the British General was defeated, and the fierce 

Why did New England dread a war with Great Britain ? — When was war 
against England declared ? — Who was Commander-in-chief in this war ? — 
How long did it continue ? — How may the operations in this war be divided ? 
— Give the account of General Hull's orders and defeat ? — What better suc- 
cess attended the American arms the following year? — Where did Commodore 
Perry meet the British fleet? —What was the result of the battle? — What 
were the advantages of this victory ? — What services were rendered by Gen. 
Harrison in 1813 ? 



186 MADISON^S ADMINISTRATION. 

Indian Chief, Tecumseh, killed. Early in the same year, York, 
now Toronto, had been captured by the Americans. 

But it was in the summer of the following year that 
the army of the north struck the most decisive blow on 
the Canadian frontier. Generals Brown, Scott, and Ripley, cross- 
ing Niagara river, captured Fort Erie on the third of July; on 
the fourth, defeated the British at the Battle of Chippewa, and on 
the twenty-fifth, won the battle of Lundy's Lane, fought on the 
Canada side, within sound of the roar of the mighty cataract. 
These victories drove the British from the Niagara frontier. 

On Lake Champlain, off Plattsburgh, the young and brave 
Commodore McDonough compelled a British fleet to surrender, 
whilst the army under G-eneral Macomb defeated General Prevost, 
who had advanced from Canada, at the same time, for the capture 
of the town. 

In the war on the ocean, our little navy, consisting of twenty 
ships, had to do battle with a power which had ten hundred and 
sixty at her command ; yet, so brave and daring were her crews, 
that the ocean warfare of 1812 added fresh honor to the American 
Navy. On the nineteenth of August, 1812, Commodore Hull, 
in the " Constitution," captured the " Guerriere," and on the 
twenty-fifth of October, Commodore Decatur, commanding the 
" United States," met the "Macedonian" off the Canary Islands, 
and after a severe battle, compelled her to surrender. On the 
Brazilian coast, the " Constitution" captured the British frigate 
" Java," on the twenty-ninth of December, 1812. 

Privateering was also carried on to a great extent. During one 
year of the war alone, it is said, that two hundred and fifty mer- 
chantmen, besides armed British vessels, were captured by the 
Americans. In 1813, however, the United States Navy met with 
severe checks and losses. Captain Lawrence, on the " Chesa- 

What is said of the army in 1814? — What Generals commanded, and 
where were victories won ? — What of the battle of Lake Champlain ? — What 
General was defeated by General Macomb ? — What had been the purpose of 
General Prevost? — What is related of the size and exploits of the American 
Navy? — Relate the victories of Commodores Hull and Decatur. — To what 
extent was privateering carried on ? — What is said of the Navy in 1813 ? — 
Give the account of the encounter of the "Chesapeake" and "Shannon." 



Madison's administration. 187 

peake/' sailed from Boston, to meet the "Shannon/' in reply 
to a challenge given by the latter, to any vessel of the same 
size. The two frigates met at the entrance of Boston ^^^ 
harbor, and becoming entangled, a severe conflict took place, ' 

which, though lasting only fifteen minutes, caused great 
carnage. Victory remained with the British. The brave Captain 
Lawrence was killed, exclaiming with his last breath, " Don't give 
up the ship." 

This same year, the American brig, "Argus," was captured by 
the sloop of war, "Pelican." The "Essex," another United 
States vessel, after making a successful cruise, during which she 
had taken twelve British armed ships, was captured on the twenty- 
eighth of March, 1814, at Valparaiso. 

The Atlantic coast sufi"ered during the year 1813 from the 
ravages of a British squadron, under Admiral Cockburn. In the 
spring of this year, several towns on the Chesapeake Bay were 
plundered and burned. Norfolk was threatened, but the enemy 
were repulsed. These depredations were carried on along the 
whole coast, as far as North Carolina, and from several of the 
slave States large numbers of negroes were seized and sold in the 
British West Indies. 

In August of this year, General Ross entered Wash- 
ington city, burned the Capitol and President's House, 
and very nearly succeeded in capturing the President and his 
Cabinet. In September, General Ross landed at North Point, 
near Baltimore, and marched towards that city; whilst, at the same 
time, the British fleet entered the Patapsco river and bombarded 
Fort McHenry. The people of Baltimore, threatened by sea and 
land, were in hourly terror lest their city should fall into the 
enemy's hands ; but in a skirmish with the Americans, General 
Ross was killed, and the bombardment proving unsuccessful, the 
British withdrew, and the people were relieved from apprehension. 

Let us now turn to events on our southern coast, where the war 

What other reverses are related ? — From what squadron did the Atlantic 
coast suifer during the year 1813 ? — What particular instances are given ? — 
When was the city of Washington entered by General Ross ? — What ravages 
did he commit ? — What further attempt did he make ? — What was the result 
of it? — How were the people of Baltimore relieved from apprehension? 



188 Madison's administration. 

ended. A large British fleet, aided by the Spanish Governor of 
Florida and the Creek Indians, attacked Fort Bowyer, on Mobile 
Bay. By a brave defence, the enemy was repulsed. General 
Jackson afterwards marched to Pensacola, to punish the Spaniards 
for granting aid to the British. This town surrendered, and 
Jackson then proceeded to New Orleans, which was threatened by 
a British force under General Packenham. 

On the eighth of January, the battle of New Orleans 
was fought. General Jackson, with his little army of 
six thousand men, entrenched behind long breast-works of cotton- 
bags, repulsed the enemy, whose force numbered twelve thousand, 
with the loss of only seven men. The well-directed fire of the 
Americans caused great destruction among the British troops. 
General Packenham was killed : the British retreated. This was 
the last battle of the war, for, on the eighteenth of February, 
peace was proclaimed. 

Commissioners had met to negotiate a treaty at Ghent, in Bel- 
gium, and it had been signed in December, about two weeks 
previous to the battle of New Orleans. The terms were satisfactory 
to both parties. 

What attack was now made upon the southern coast ? — Who assisted the British ? 

— Who was sent against them, and what did he accomplish? — How was New 
Orleans threatened? — When was the battle of New Orleans fought? — What 
is said of General Jackson and his army ? — What was the result of this battle ? 

— When was peace proclaimed ? — Where had the treaty been agreed upon ? 

— When was it signed ? 

Review Questions. — Relate the conduct of France at the opening ot 
Adams's administration. — How was war prevented ? 

What territory did the United States gain in 1803? — With what power was 
the United States at war in 1803, and describe Decatur's exploits? — What led 
to a treaty with the Barbary powers? — When, and under what circumstances, 
was peace finally made ? 

What is said of Burr's conspiracy ? — How was our country aflFected by the 
wars between France and England ? — What led to a war with England ? — 
Where was this war carried on ? — Relate Hull's surrender and Perry's victory. 

Describe the campaign of 1813 and 1814, on the northern frontier. — Relate 
the success of the American Navy during 1812. — Relate its disasters in 1813. 

Describe the campaign on the Atlantic coast? — Describe the events on 
the Gulf coast and the battle of New Orleans ? — Where, and when was peace 
made? 



THE ADMINISTRATIONS SUCCEEDING MADISON's. 189 



CHAPTEE XYIII. 

THE ADMINISTRATIONS SUCCEEDING MADISON'S. 

"Dark is Palo Alto's story — sad Jlesaca Palma's rout — 
Ah ! upon those fields so gory, many a gallant life went out." 

Hoffman. 

The ten Administrations which follow Madison^s, are 
Monroe, 1817-1825; John Quincy Adams, 1825-1829; ^^^^' 
Jackson, 1829-1837; Van Buren, 1837-1841; Harri- ^? 
son and Tyler, 1811-1845; Polk, 1845-1849; Taylor •^^^^• 
and Fillmore, 1849-1853 ; and Pierce, since March, 1853. 

Of these, Monroe and Jackson served two terms : Harrison and 
Taylor died in office, the one a month, the other a year, after his 
inauguration. Their terms were filled out by their respective Vice 
Presidents, Tyler and Fillmore. 

During these administrations, extending through a period of 
forty years from the close of the war of 1812, our Territory has 
rapidly extended and become populous. America, as in its early 
day, still offers an asylum to the oppressed, persecuted, and 
poverty-stricken, of other lands. A continual tide of emigration 
has flowed in upon our shores. 

During Monroe's administration, Florida was ceded to 
the United States by Spain. Since the admission of 
Vermont, in 1791, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Louisiana, Indiana, 
Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama, Maine, Missouri, Arkansas, Michi- 
gan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Texas, and California, have been 
added to the Union, until now, the United States reverses the Old 
Thirteen, and numbers thirty-one. 

Name the Presidents of the United States from 1815 to 1855. — Which of 
these served two terms, and which died in oflBice ? — What is said of the terri.. 
tory and population during this period ? — To whom does our country ofifer an 
asylum? — How many States have been added to the original number? 



190 THE ADMINISTRATIONS SUCCEEDING MADISON's. 

Some Indian wars have arisen : durinc; General Jack- 

1 QQf) ^ 

son's administration, Black-IIawk, a powerful Chief of 
the Sac Indians, roused them, together with the Fox and Winne- 
bago tribes of Wisconsin, to war upon the Illinois frontier. Gen. 
Atkinson was sent against them : Black-Hawk was captured, and 
the tribes driven beyond the Mississippi. 

Another Indian war, of a more serious nature, arose in 
1S35 

* Florida. Arrangements had been made to remove the 

Indian tribes of the south to a territory assigned to them 
beyond the Mississippi. During Jackson's administration, some 
of these tribes migrated thither without much opposition. The 
Florida Seminoles, however, unwilling to emigrate, headed by their 
fierce chief, Osceola, commenced a war which lasted seven years. 
The Indians, by retreating to everglades and morasses, where they 
could not be followed, rendered it almost impossible to conquer 
them, whilst the deadly climate and Indian massacre carried off 
numbers of the United States' troops. 

On one occasion, as Major Dade was marching from Tampa 
Bay to reinforce Gen. Clinch in the interior, he was surrounded 
by Indians near a swamp, and his command, consisting of one 
hundred men, cruelly massacred : but four escaped alive, all of 
whom afterwards died of their wounds. Generals Clinch, Scott, 
Jessup, and Taylor, were all engaged at different times in the 
Florida war. At length, in 1842, during Tyler's administration, 
Osceola having died in prison at Fort Moultrie, a few years previ- 
ously, his tribe consented to enter into a treaty of peace ; which 
has been thus far adhered to. 

At the close of Tyler's administration, Texas, one of 
1844 • • • 

the provinces of Mexico, which had declared itself inde- 
pendent, applied for admission as a State into our Confederacy 
Mexico had refused to acknowledge the independence of Texas, 

What Indian war occurred during Jackson's administration ? — What led to 
the Indian war in Florida ? — Who was the leader of the Seminoles ? — Why- 
was it difficult to conquer them ? — What befell Major Dade's troops ? — What 
distinguished generals were engaged in the Seminole war ? — When was it 
brought to a close, and under what circumstances ? — What was Texas pre- 
vious to its admission into the Union ? 



THE ADMINISTRATIONS SUCCEEDING MADISON's. 191 

and its annexation to the United States would, it was feared by 
many, bring on a war between the two countries. 

On this account, as well as on account of the objection 
which northerners felt to having such a large slave State 
added to the Union, the annexation was strongly opposed. ¥'u 
nally, on the first of March, 1845, the Bill for its admission passed 
both Houses of Congress. In July, the Texan government 
having approved the terms of annexation, Texas became one 
of the United States. Besides the admission of Texas, there 
wore numerous other causes of discontent between the United 
States and Mexico, and the danger of hostilities appeared to be 
imminent. 

President Polk ordered Greneral Zachary Taylor to the 
Kio Grande, the boundary river between the two coun- 
tries. His army, of fifteen hundred men, was called " the Army 
of Occupation," and sent for the protection of Texas. Hostili- 
ties commenced on the part of the Mexicans, on the twenty-sixth 
of April, 1846. On the eighth of May, as General Taylor was 
advancing from Point Isabel to Fort Brown, on the Bio Grande, 
he was met at Palo Alto by an army of six thousand Mexicans, 
under General Arista. A severe battle followed, which lasted 
nearly five hours, and resulted in the defeat of the Mexicans, with 
the loss of nearly five hundred in killed and wounded. The next 
day, the Mexicans were again encountered at Besaca de la Palma, 
and again routed, with a fearful loss. 

Congress declared that war had begun, and General Taylor 
penetrated into Mexico, advancing from Matamoras towards Mon- 
terey. He defeated two armies raised to oppose him, one at Mon- 
terey, under General Ampudia, and another, under Santa Anna, at 
Buena Vista. Both of these battles were severe. Monterey was a 
strong town, situated at the foot of the Sierra Madre. Nearly four 

Why did many object to receiving it as a State? — What objection had 
others, besides a fear of war with Mexico? — When was it admitted into the 
Union? — Why was General Taylor sent to the Rio Grande? — What were 
the numbers of the two armies at the battle of Palo Alto ? — What was the 
result of this battle, and of that of Resaca de la Palma ? — What advance did 
General Taylor then make? — What battles did he subsequently fight ? — 
Where is Monterey situated ? — What is said of the battle of Monterey ? 



192 THE ADxMINISTRATIONS SUCCEEDING MADISON's. 

days were spent in reducing it, and part of the time the battle was 

carried on in the streets of the city. After the battle of Monterey, 

an armistice of eight weeks was agreed upon ; at the end of which 

time Taylor advanced, and the battle of Buena Vista was 

fought. Buena Vista (beautiful view) is a narrow mountain- 




Buena Tista. — (^Beautiful View.) 

pass, where, on the twenty-first of February, General Taylor pre- 
pared, with a force of about five thousand men, to meet the Mexican 
array. The next day, Santa Anna approached, at the head of 
twenty thousand men, and ordered General Taylor to surrender. 
The battle that followed, lasted the entire day of the twenty-third, 
and resulted in victory to the Americans. 

On the ninth of March, General Scott landed at Vera Cruz, 
compelled that city, as well as the strong Castle of St. Juan 

Give the account of the battle of Buena Yista. — What conquest did Gen. 
Scott make at Vera Cruz ? 



THE ADMINISTRATIONS SUCCEEDING MADISON^S. 193 

d'UUoa, to surrender, and proceeding on his victorious march to the 
city of Mexico, gained the great battle of Cerro Gordo. Advancing 
into the valley of Mexico, he won the victories of Contreras, Churu- 
busco, Molino del Key, and Chapultepec, in the environs of the 
capital, and finally entering the city in triumph, on the foui'teenth 
of September, planted the American colors on the national palace 
of Mexico. 

In August of 1846, General Kearney had taken possession of 
New Mexico, and started for the conquest of California. He was 
met on the route by tidings of the victories won there already 
by Colonel Fremont and Commodores Sloat and Stockton. He 
arrived in time to aid in completing the conquest of the country. 

When General Scott took possession of his capital, -inj^o 
Santa Anna fled, and the Mexican Congress sued for 
peace. On the second of February, 1848, the treaty of Guada- 
loupe Hidalgo was signed, by which peace was restored. In con- 
cluding this peace, the Mexican government ceded a large tract 
of territory to the United States, for which the former received 
the sum of fifteen millions of dollars. 



During the last fifty years, many difficulties have arisen in our 
country from the vast difi"erence of political opinions which mark 
the difi'erent portions of our Union. On the subject of slavery, 
taxation, import duties, and internal improvements, much bitter 
party feeling has arisen. 

On the admission of Missouri as a State, in 1821, the 
question of its holding slaves gave rise to the warmest 
debate in Congress. It was finally settled by an agreement, known 
as the Missouri Compromise, by which slavery was to be permitted 

What battles did he gain on his way to the city of Mexico ? — What tri- 
umph did he finally achieve ? — When, and by whom, was New Mexico taken ? 

— By whom was California conquered? — When was peace concluded? — 
What purchase was made of Mexico by the United States at the same time ? 

— What political subjects have produced important diflBculties in our country ? 
— What caused difficulty on the admission of Missouri into the Union ? — How 
was it settled ? 

17 N 



194 THE ADMINISTRATIONS SUCCEEDINQ MADISON 's. 

Bouth of latitude 36° 30', and not allowed in the vast territory 
lying north of that parallel. This compromise was annulled in 
1854, in Congress, by the passage of the bill relating to the new 
territories of Kansas and Nebraska. 

^^ During General Jackson's administration, so great was 

the discontent in South Carolina, caused by the heavy 
duties on imported woollen and cotton goods, that this State 
threatened to separate from the Union. Jackson's vigorous admin- 
istration, however, prevented this calamity. 

On other political subjects difficulties have arisen ; but we have 
to be thankful' that thus far, God has raised up for us wise and 
peace-loving statesmen, who have, by conciliatory measures, 
averted the dangers which threatened our Union. Let us thank 
Ilim for the past, and pray that He will make us virtuous citizens, 
and that He will be pleased so to direct the counsels of our Go- 
vernment, that "righteousness and peace" may be established 
among us for all generations. '' 

When, and by what act, was the Missouri Compromise annulled ? — "What 
caused the discontent in South Carolina in 1832? — What was threatened by 
that State? — How was the danger prevented ? — What great blessing has God, 
thus far, given to our country ? — What favors should we still ask of Him in 
its behalf? 



Review Questions. — How many, and what, administrations have suc- 
ceeded Madison's ? — Of how many, and what, States does the Union now 
consist? 

What Indian wars have arisen since 1830 ? — Give the account of the war 
excited by Black-IIawk. — What caused the Seminole war ? — What particu- 
lars can you state concerning that war? — How long did it last, and when was 
it ended? 

When was Texas admitted into the Union? — What objections had been 
made to its admission ? — In what year did the war with Mexico commence? 
— What Generals greatly distinguished themselves in that war? — Recount 
the victories of General Taylor? — Relate the account of General Scott's cam- 
paign in Mexico. — When was the treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo signed? 

What difficulty gave rise to the Missouri Compromise? — By the passage of 
what bill was it abolished ? 

What troubles occurred in South Carolina in 1832 ? 

What great blessing has been bestowed upon our country amidst its greatest 
difficulties ? — For what further blessings should we ever pray ? 



THE WEST. 195 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE WEST. 

"His prow is westward set, 
O'er the calm wave : hail to thy bold, 
World-seeking bark, Mai-quette I" 

Peabody. 

At the opening of the seventeenth century, England, 
France, and Spain, were the most powerful nations in 
Europe. 

It is not very wonderful, therefore, that these three govern- 
ments should have divided among them the new Western World, 
which their mariners had discovered. 

We have seen how England planted the Thirteen 
Colonies on our sea-bord, and now let us turn to the vast ^^^'> 
regions of the West and South, where France and Spain ^^ 
held sway, but where now the names of towns and rivers 
are the only mementoes of tbese two powerful nations. 

The French had planted their colony of New France 
on the banks of the St. Lawrence, at the time when the 
zeal of the disciples of Ignatius Loyola was at its height. Her 
devoted Jesuit Missionaries were willing to brave every peril, en- 
dure every hardship, to win converts to their faith ; and before the 
close of the century, Roman Catholic Missions had been -.^^.f^ 
planted amid the savage wilds, and still more savage tribes 
of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi. 

In 1673, as the Jesuit Marquette, with the French ^^_o 
trader, Joliet, left Wisconsin, to explore the Mississippi, 

What were the three lea,ding Governments of Europe in the year 1600 ? — 
What territory did they divide among themselves ? — In what parts of this 
land did they respectively plant colonies ? — What reminds us of the French and 
Spanish sway in the South and AVest? — When, and where, was the Colony 
of New France founded ? — What is said of the zeal and success of the Jesuit 
Missionaries ? — What is related of Marquette and Joliet in 1673 ? 



196 THE WEST. ^ 

the former said : " My companion is an envoy of France, to dis- 
cover new countries, and I am an ambassador from God, to en- 
lighten them with the Gospel." 

They floated down the great river Mississippi. The lilies of 
France were engraven on trees, the cross was erected, and the 
French pioneer and the Jesuit, took possession of the country. 

The Missions of Sault St. Marie, St. Ignatius, and St. 

Joseph, were founded on the Lakes. Old Kaskaskia, 

■toQp^ Peoria, and Vincennes, were planted further west, and 

. ' Fort Chartres, and St. Genevieve, arose on the Missis- 
-inoQ sippi. These are among the oldest settlements in our 
country. 

The French inhabitants of these villages were a happy and con- 
tented race. '' On the margin of a prairie, or on the borders of 
some gentle stream, their villages sprung up in long, narrow streets, 
with the family homesteads so contiguous, that the merry and so- 
ciable villagers could carry on their voluble conversation, each 
from his own door or balcony.' ' * 

The men were generally boatmen (" voyageurs"), hunters, and 
trappers. They delighted in the long hunting and trading excur- 
sion among distant Indian tribes, from which they returned, laden 
with furs and peltries, to relate to wondering ears at home, their 
tales of perilous adventure. 

Holydays, of which their Church furnishes so many, were ob- 
served as festivals; and dancing, in which whole communities 
joined, was a favorite amusement among this light-hearted people. 
In the year 1682, the knightly and adventurous La 
Salle descended the Mississippi. Sailing beyond the 
mouth of the Arkansas, which Marquette had reached, his little 
vessel emerged into the broad waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 
Amid anthems and Te Deums the cross was raised, and La 

How did they take possession of the country ? — Where were Missions 
founded, and for what were they distinguished ? — What was the character of 
these French settlers ? — What was their occupation ? — What were their fes- 
tivals and amusements ? — In what year did La Salle take possession of Lou- 
iijiaja ? — In what manner was the possession taken ? 

* Monnette. 



THE WEST. 197 

Salle took possession of Louisiana, as lie named it in honor of his 
king, Louis XIY. 

Another country was added to New France ; but twelve years 
passed away, before a single French settlement had sprung up 
within its limits. Two years after his discovery. La Salle, 
sailing from France, had entered the Gulf of Mexico with 
a colony. Missing the mouth of the Great River, they sailed 
westward, and planted a feeble settlement on Matagorda Bay, within 
the limits of the present State of Texas. 

After two years, spent chiefly in explorations and fruitless 
efforts to reach the Mississippi, La Salle was murdered by a 
treacherous companion, and his body left unburied upon a Texan 
prairie. 

In 1699, were founded the first settlements of French 
Louisiana. In that year, Lemoine D'Iberville, with a 
little fleet of four vessels, and a colony of two hundred souls, en- 
tered the Gulf of Mexico. They built Fort Biloxi, in Mississippi, 
but for the next twenty years few settlers came to Louisiana, and 
those who did come were only gold-diggers, and not useful to the 
colony. 

In 1718, more settlements were planted. Fort Rosalie 
had gathered a little colony where Natchez now stands, 
and Bienville had erected on the river a barracks and a few huts, 
which he named New Orleans, in honor of the Regent of France. 

Under the government of the wise and good Bienville, 
Louisiana flourished. Plantations of rice, indigo, and 
cotton, were cultivated. In ten years from its foundation, New 
Orleans had become a port of commerce, and pleasant cottages, 
around which grew the fig-tree and the orange, lined the river- 
banks for many miles, above and below the city. 

In honor of what king was it named ? — What attempt was made by La Salle ta 
settle the country he had discovered? — Where did his colony settle? — What 
was his fate ? — When, and by whom, were made the first settlements in Lou- 
isiana? — What is said of the number, and character, of the settlers during 
the next twenty years ? — What settlements were added in 1718? — What i« 
said of the government of Bienville? — What of the increase and prosperity 
of New Orleans ? 

17* 



198 THE WEST. 

Long and cruel Indian wars with the Chickasaw and Natchez 
tribes, checked greatly the early progress of Louisiana, but 
towards the middle of the century, these had ceased, and the set- 
tlements extended farther west, and increased in numbers and 
prosperity. 

In 1758, M. Du Breuil erected the first sugar-mill in the 
colony, and the cultivation of the cane became a principal object 
of industry to the population. In seven years, a small ship.-load 
of sugar was exported to France. i 

T^po Vast, indeed, was the empire which the French had 

planted in America. For her colony of New France, she 
claimed the basin of the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. 
'' Louisiana,'^ says Bancroft, " was held to embrace the whole 
valley of the Mississippi. Not a fountain bubbled on the west 
of the Alleghanies, but was claimed as being within the French 
empire. Half a mile from the head of the southern branch of 
the Savannah river, is ' Herbert's Spring,' which flows into the 
Mississippi; strangers, who drank of it, would say that they had 
tasted French waters.'' 

From these vast regions, the dominion of France was soon to 
pass away. It will be remembered, that the " Old French War," 
of 1755, was brought on by the efibrts of the French to connect, 
by a line of forts and stations, their settlements in Canada with 
those of Louisiana. In attempting this, they invaded territory 
claimed by Virginia. The English Governor remonstrated, but 
the French would not withdraw their claims, and war was declared. 

This war lasted eight years, and by the peace of Paris, which 

17RR concluded it, in 1763, France gave up her possessions in 

America. In November, of the previous year, she had 

ceded to Spain the territory west of the Mississippi, extending 

What wars checked the prosperity of Louisiana ? — At what time had they 
ceased? — When, and by whom, was the first sugar-mill brought into this 
colony? — To what extent was the cane cultivated? — What did the colony 
of New France include ? — How does Bancroft describe the extent of Lou- 
isiana? — What is said of the duration of the French dominion? — What 
caused the French war of 1755 ? — How long did it last? — What did France 
give up at its close? — What territory had she ceded to Spq,iu the previous 
year? 



THE WEST. 199 

from that river to tlie Pacific, and from its sources to the Gulf 
of Mexico. 

To England was now surrendered all her possessions east of 
that river, with the exception of the city and island of New Or- 
leans, which was given to Spain. 



Spain was the first nation that planted a eolony within the 
present limits of the United States. 

On Easter-Sunday, in the year 1512, Ponce de Leon, 
searching for the fabled Fountain of Youth, landed on 
our southern coast. That day is called, among the Spaniards, 
Pascua Florida, and because of this, as well as on account of the 
brilliant flowers which decked the soil, he gave to this new country 
the name of Florida. 

The love of adventure and of gold, lured many Span- 
iards to follow in the footsteps of Ponce de Leon. The " * 
most remarkable among these was Hernando de Soto. 

He had roused, by his enthusiasm, the bravest and most 
adventurous of the young nobility of his native country. On the 
sixth of April, 1538, in a richly furnished armament, consisting); 
of ten vessels, having on board about six hundred gallant youth 
of Spain and Portugal, amid bursts of martial music, De Soto 
left the shores of Spain. 

In May, of the following year, with an imposing force 
of armed men, all filled with high hopes and dreams of 
untold wealth, he sailed from Cuba on his daring expedition for 
plunder and for conquest. 

No high or holy purpose animated the hearts of these adven- 

What possessions were now ceded to England ? — What nation first founded 
a colony in what is now the United States ? — When, and for what object, did 
Ponce de Leon land in the south ? — What name did he give to the region, 
and why ? — Who was Hernando de Soto ? — Whom had he persuaded to 
follow him to this continent ? — With how many men and vessels did he sail 
fro-m Spain ? — When, and with what force, did he leave Cuba ? 



200 



THE WEST 



1541. 



turers. They went in search of goldj and fearful was their re- 
ward. They were indeed, " filled with many sorrows. '^ 

At the end of two years, having wandered through 
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, De Soto, 
with a remnant of his men, stood upon the banks of the Missis- 
sippi. He was the first white man who had gazed upon its waters. 
This was in 1541, one hundred and forty years earlier than La 
Salle's explorations. 



ft,- -, . \ -. 1/ -V' ' / V V I .- 




Do fcoLo ou the banks of the Mi.ssihsippi, 



Still further west, De Soto wandered into Arkansas. He 
found no gold ; nothing but wasting disease and Indian hostility. 
Returning to the river Misssissippi, worn down by hardship and 
the heart-sickness of hope deferred, he found a grave in its waters. 
He died on the thirty-first of May, 1542. 

What was their object, and their reward? — What were their wanderings 
previous to their arrival at the Mississippi ? — How much earlier was this than 
La Sallfl'a explorations ? — Wlmf in Roirl nf Tiio oTi1ie<5r.iinnf lio»./leV,;,^c, o^iri /i/,otT^ » 



THE WEST. 201 

When four years had gone by, a small remnant of two 
hundred and fifty men, all that remained of the expedi- 
tion of De Soto, found its way to the Spanish settlements in 
Mexico. 

Nothing resulted from these expeditions, save that the Spaniards 
claimed the country, until 1565, when the fort and town of St. 
Augustine was founded. This was half a century before the 
English or the French had planted colonies in the New World. 

For nearly two hundred years, Spain did little towards the settle- 
ment of Florida. Roman Catholic missions were established for 
the conversion of the Indian tribes, and zealous missionaries, of 
the order of St. Francis, were sent among them. St. Augustine 
and Pensacola, during this long period, were the only important 
towns. 

By the peace of 1763, Spain gave up Florida to Eng- 
land. By the same treaty, she gained from France the 
vast region of Louisiana west of the Mississippi, and also the 
island and city of Orleans. 

The population of Louisiana numbered, at this period, thirteen 
thousand five hundred and fifty souls. They were French, and 
extremely averse to Spanish rule, and six years passed before the 
transfer of their province to Spain was finally efi^ected. 

The first Spanish Governor did much to increase the ill-will of 
the French people, but succeeding Governors acted more wisely 
and virtuously, and in after years, confidence was restored, and 
Louisiana prospered. St. Louis was founded as a depot for the 
fur trade, in 1764. In ten years, it could boast one hundred and 
twenty good houses, and a population of eight hundred. 

What became of the remnant of his followers? — What resulted from these 
explorations ? — When was St. Augustine founded ? — How long was this be- 
fore the English and French planted colonies ? — What missions were estab- 
lished in Florida ? — How long were Pensacola and St. Augustine the only 
important towns ? — When was Florida ceded to England ? — What possessions 
did Spain acquire at the same time? — What retarded the transfer of Lou- 
isiana to Spain ? — What course did the Spanish Governors pursue ? — When 
was St. Louis founded, and how rapidly did it increase ? 



202 THE WEST. 

Twenty years after the peace of Paris had divided our country 
between England and Spain, another treaty was concluded. It 
was the treaty which closed our War of Independence, — the 
peace of 1783. 

By it England gave up a territory extending from the Atlantic 
to the Mississippi, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of 
Mexico; and the United States became the ruling power in 
America. Spain still held the country west of the Mississippi, 
and Florida was restored to her. 

During the twenty years' occupation of Florida by the English, 
from the peace of 1763 to that of 1783, the province had been 
divided into two portions with separate Governors, and capitals at 
St. Augustine and Pensacola. 

In the year 1767, a colony of Greeks, Corsicans, and 
' ' Minorcans, was planted at New Smyrna, under circum- 
stances of great cruelty. 

Dr. Turnbull, an Englishman, had deluded these poor people 
from their European homes by fair promises of founding a happy 
colony in America. 

He landed them on the coast of Florida, seventy-four miles 
south of St. Augustine. The little village of palmetto huts, 
which they erected, was named New Smyrna. These colonists 
were reduced to the most wretched and cruel condition of slavery : 
obliged to labor beyond their strength ; without sufficient food or 
clothes, and subjected to the most inhuman punishments. 
-,_K.»7 For nine years, these wretched people groaned under 

' * this harsh servitude. Their numbers decreased, until 
only six hundred remained of the original fifteen hundred who 
had left the Mediterranean. 

What division of trie country was made by the peace of Paris ? — What ter- 
ritory did England give up by the treaty of 1783 ? — What portions were still 
held by Spain? — What division of Florida was made by the English? — 
When was the colony at New Smyrna founded, and of whom was it composed? 

— By what promise had these people been deceived ? — Where was the colony 
of New Smyrna situated ? — To what cruelties were the colonists subjected ? 

— How long did their bondage continue, and what was its eflfect upon their 
numbers ? 



THE WEST. 203 

At lengthy they fled to St. Augustine, and implored the aid and 
protection of the English Governor. His protection was cheer- 
fully granted, and as they refused to return to New Smyrna, the 
scene of iheir suiferings, grounds were given them in the vicinity 
of St. Augustine. Here they founded homes, and here their de- 
scendants still live worthy and respected citizens. 



The peace of 1783 gave a new impulse to emigration. Pre- 
vious to this, a number of the Old Thirteen Colonies, who claimed, 
in right of their charters, the unexplored lauds of the west, had 
sent out bold pioneers to examine the country beyond the 
Alleghanies. 

In the first year of our Revolutionary struggle, Daniel 
Boone had led his family through the Cumberland Gap 
from Carolina, and planted the first home in the beautiful region 
of Kentucky. Before the close of the year, four settlements, at 
Boonesborough, Harrodsburg, Boiling Springs, and St. Asaph's, 
had sprung up within the territory. 

During the war, the bold pioneer and soldier. Colonel ^ 
George Rogers Clarke, captured from the English, by a 
midnight surprise, the garrison and town of Kaskaskia. The next 
year, 1779, he performed a march of one hundred and fifty miles 
through a pathless wilderness, and captured Vincennes. 

The settlements of the west, exposed to Indian hostilities, in- 
creased but slowly during the war. From the peace of 1783, 
may be dated the era of western emigration. Hundreds of fami- 
lies entered Kentucky. Lexington had become a thriving village, 
and Louisville sprang up on the southern bank of the Ohio. 

How did they escape from it ? — Where did they finally settle ? — How did 
the peace of 1783 affect emigration ? — By whom, and for what purpose, had 
pioneers been sent westward previously to 1783 ? — When, and by whom, was 
Kentucky first settled? — Who was Colonel Clarke? — What place did he 
capture from the English ? — What retarded the settlement of the west during 
(he war ? — Wh:it is said of the growth of Kentucky after the peace ? 



204 



THE WEST. 




Daniel Boone in Kentucky. 



The hunters* track through the woods began to give way to the 
road through which the emigrants' wagon might travel. Agricul- 
ture and manufactures were carried on, and in 1787 the first 
newspaper of the west was printed. 

In 1790, the 'population of Kentucky numbered more than 
seventy thousand ; and in less than two years afterwards, she had 
entered the Union as an independent State. 

The territory north-west of the Ohio was claimed by Massa- 
chusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Virginia, under their re- 
spective charters. And it was not until the year 1786, that all 
these States had yielded their claims to the general government. 
^ _Q»- When this had been done, Congress passed a law erect- 

ing this great section of the west into the '^ North-West 

How had it improved up to 1787 ? — When was it admitted into the Union, 
and with what population? — By what States was the territory north-west of 
the Ohio claimed? — What became of these claims? — What law did Congress 
pass in 1787, respecting this region ? 



THE WEST. 205 

Territory," providing for a certain number of future States to be 
formed from it, and admitted into the Union when they should 
number a population of sixty thousand each. From this Terri- 
tory have sprung five enterprising free States, admitted in the 
following order: Ohio (1802), Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818), 
Michigan (1837), and Wisconsin (1848). 

In the year 1788, a little barge, built near Pittsburgh, 
and named, in grateful remembrance of the Pilgrim 
Fathers, " The Mayflower,'^ floated down the Ohio to the mouth 
of the Muskingum. It bore a band of hardy pioneers, headed 
by a son of General Putnam. Soon, at the junction of the 
rivers, sprang up a little village, named after the unfortunate Queen 
Maria Antoinette. Marietta was the first settlement within the 
limits of Ohio. 

Not yet seventy years have passed away, and the Ohio bears its 
hundreds of steamers, and its banks are lined with beautiful and 
flourishing towns and villages. Cincinnati, the Queen City of 
the West, which was not settled until after Marietta, now numbers 
more than one hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants, and pos- 
sesses all the refinements and luxuries of the older cities of the 
Atlantic States. 

The tide of emigration still flowed westward. Around the old 
French settlements in the Illinois country, gathered a population 
of emigrants from the United States. Year after year, in Indiana, 
Illinois, and Michigan, their numbers increased. On the broad 
prairie, and amid the forest, arose the cabin of the backwoodsman. 

Soon, these dwellings clustered into villages : the villages became 
towns, and now, fair cities rise where, less than eighty years ago, 
the sound of the pioneer's axe alone awoke the echoes of the 
forest. Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and Milwaukie, these beau- 
tiful cities of the Lake, are examples of the almost magic growth 
of the West. 

On what condition were States to bo admitted from it 1 — What States, and 
in what order, have sprung from this territory ? — When, and where, was 
the first settlement in Ohio? — Under what circumstances was it made? — 
What account is given of Cincinnati ? — What is said of the emigration west- 
ward ? — Whac cities afford examples of the rapid growth of the west ? 

18 



206 THE WEST. 

Chicago, wliicli in 1831 was a mere trading station amid the 
wigwams of the Indians, now probably numbers little less than 
one hundred thousand inhabitants. The grain farms of the prairie 
send their rich produce to be shipped from this city of the Lake, 
and it is now the largest grain port in the world. 

What is related of the growth and iirosperity of Chicago ? 



Review Questions. — What European nations divided among themselves 
the discoveries in the New World? 

What Missionaries were active in founding settlements? — Give the account 
of Marquette and Joliet. — What Missions are among the oldest settlements 
of our country ? 

What is said of the character, occupations, and amusements, of the French 
pettlers ? — Relate the account of La Salle's explorations and fate. — When, 
and where, were the first French settlements in Louisiana? — What additions 
were made to it in 1718? — What was the condition of the settlements in 
1736 ? — What was the extent of the dominion of France in the Xew World ? 
— What nations became possessed of this domain, and by what means ? 

Give the account of Ponce do Leon's expedition to Florida. — What were 
De Soto's adventures and fate? — How long was Florida held by Spain, and 
■what is said of its settlements during that period? — When did Spain acquire 
Louisiana ? 

What territory was given by England by the treaty of 1783 ? — What was 
the condition of Florida under the English rule ? 

What settlements were made in the west during the Revolutionary War? — 
From what does the era of western emigration date ? — When was the first 
newspaper of the west printed ? — What States have sprung from what was 
once the north-west territory? — When was Ohio first settled? — What has 
been its progress since that time ? — Give the account of the rapid growth of 
the West 



THE WEST. 207 

CHAPTER XX. 

THE WEST (Contiuuca.) 

"Empire to empire swift succeeds, 
Each happy, great, and free." 

J. K. Paulding. 

The pioneers of Carolina had, even before the war, penetrated 
to the banks of the rivers which flow through Tennessee. Tho 
feeble settlements formed during the war were sadly ravaged by 
the fierce and hostile Indian tribes, and for many years the Creek, 
Choctaw, Cherokee, and Chickasaw tribes were a terror to the 
settler in the South-Western Territory. 

The year after the peace, Nashville was founded, and 
the settlements on the Cumberland, the Holston, and the 
Clinch grew rapidly. These settlements were under the govern- 
ment of North Carolina. For a few years they attempted to estab- 
lish a separate State called Frankland. In this they were not 
encouraged by the general government. In 1790, when North 
Carolina gave up her claims, the country was formed into the South- 
\Yestern Territory. The same year, at Knoxville, was published 
the first newspaper of the new Territory. In six years more, 
the South-Western Territory had become the State of Tennessee. 

And this new member of the confederacy became the mother 
of many States. It is said that from Tennessee have gone forth 
more colonies " for the peopling of the great Valley of the Mis- 
sissippi, than from any other State in the American Union." 

From Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama received their Ameri- 
can settlers, and in a short time the population on the Alabama, 
the Tombigbee, and the Yazoo rivers, outnumbered the old Spanish 
settlements on the Gulf. 

From what State were the pioneers of Tennessee ? — By what Indian tribes 
were their settlements disturbed? — When was Nashville founded? — On what 
rivers were settlements made? — Under what government were they ? — When 
was the South-Western Territory organized ? — When did it become a State ? 
— When was its first newspaper printed? — What is said of emigration from 
Tennessee? — What States received their American settlers from Tennessee? 



208 THE WEST. 

Mississippi had been Greeted into a Territory as early as 1798. 
The first newspaper was printed in 1802, and in the following 
year, " The Mississippi Society for the Acquirement and Dissemi- 
nation of Useful Knowledge" was founded by the intelligent 
settlers amid the forests of the new Territory. Jefferson College 
was founded — the Protestant religion was preached by zealous mis- 
sionaries. Natchez had become a chartered city, and had estab- 
lished a charity hospital. Yet for many years, but three roads, oi 
horse-paths, traversed Mississippi Territory, and fears of cruel 
Indian hostilities retarded the progress and prosperity of the 
settlements. 

The Creek Indians, instigated by the English traders 

""' during the war of 1812, committed fearful ravages upon 

-.Q-ir the settlements of Mississippi and Alabama. General 

Jackson was sent into the Indian country, and many 

severe battles were fought. Within two years of the peace 

of 1815, the population of Mississippi Territory had so 

increased that she became a State, and in two years more, Alabama 

was admitted into the Union. 



It will be remembered that the peace of 1763 divided our 
country between England and Spain; and that, twenty years 
later, by the treaty of 1783, England gave up her claim to the 
United States. We have followed the hardy pioneers of the latter, 
and have seen how, one after another, their settlements became 
Territories, and their Territories, Stat-es. 

To Spain, you will remember, was ceded Florida and the vast 
territory west of the Mississippi, known as Louisiana. 

When did Mississippi become a Territory? — How did the early inhabitants of 
it show their love of knowledge ? — What is said of the roads ? — What cause re- 
tarded the prosperity of the country ? — By whom were the Creeks excited to 
hostilities? — Who was sent against them? — When did Mississippi and Ala- 
bama respectively become States ? — Between what nations did the peace of 
17C3 divide our country ? — When did England give up her claim to the United 
States ? — What portion was held by Spain ? 



THE WEST. 209 

Daring the next twenty years, from the peace of 1783 to tho 
year 1803, Louisiana increased rapidly in population. Many 
French emigrants came to the colony, and people from the United 
States were encouraged to settle in the Spanish Territorias. 

In 1780, a town was founded on the west bank of the Missis- 
sippi, by American citizens, and named New Madrid, in honor of 
the capital of Spain. In that year the population of the Spanish 
provinces numbered more than forty thousand. 

Education received but little attention in Louisiana, and as late 
as the year 1791, the colony which Spain had possessed nearly 
thirty years, could scarcely boast a school. In New Orleans, there 
was one school, taught by a few Spanish nuns. In 1791, many 
French refugees from St. Domingo came into Louisiana, and 
engaged in teaching. Owing to their efforts, schools becam(? 
more general. 

In the year 1800, Spain, involved in the wars of Europe, 
was compelled to resign her province of Louisiana to 
Napoleon of France. For two brief years, France again had a 
claim in America; but Bonaparte, foreseeing the difficulty of 
defending this distant colony, signified his willingness to transfer 
it to the United States. In April, 1803, Louisiana, which then 
contained a population of nearly fifty thousand, was purchased by 
the United States. 

This purchase gave America the vast regions west of ^^ 
the Mississippi, and eagerly d'd her enterprising people 
hasten to enter in and possess the land. Territorial governments 
were formed, and soon four flourishing States were added to 
the Union from the old Spanish territory of Louisiana. These 
States entered the Union in the following order. Louisiana, in 
1812; Missouri, in 1821; Arkansas, in 1836; and Iowa, in 

What is said of the increase of population in Louisiana? — When, and where, 
■was New Madrid founded? — What was the population of the Spanish provinces 
at that time ? — AVhat was the state of education in Louisiana ? — By whose efforts 
did schools become more general? — When, and to whom, did Spain resign 
up Louisiana? — Why was Napoleon willing to transfer it to the United States ? 
— AVhen was Louisiana purchased by the United States? — How mnny States 
were formed from thia territory ? — In what order did they enter the Union ? 

18* 



210 THE WEST. 

1845. From this vast region also have been formed the Territories 
of Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas; and also Indian Territory, 
a tract entirely occupied and governed by Indian tribes. 

Spain still held Florida until the year 1819, when it was ceded 
to the United States. It entered the Union in 1845. 

During Jefferson's administration, the treaty of 1803 was signed, 
and to his enterprising mind and enlarged views are due the American 
explorations beyond the Rocky INTountains. Following 
the plans which Jefferson drew up, the bold travelers, 
Lewis and Clarke, ascended the Missouri to its sources. Then 
crossing the Rocky Mountains and descending the Columbia River 
for six hundred miles, they reached the Pacific Ocean in No- 
vember, 1805, having employed nearly a year and a half in their 
explorations. This long and interesting, but perilous journey, was 
accomplished, with admirable skill. The Indians were won by 
kind words and gifts. 

As early as the year 1792, an American trader. Captain Gray, 

of Boston, had cast anchor in the waters of the great river of 

Oregon, and named it for his vessel the " Columbia." But no 

route across the Continent had been discovered until the 

enterprise of Lewis and Clarke threw open to the United States 

this vast territory, so valuable for its furs and peltries. 

When the report of this exploring expedition was made 

known, John Jacob Astor, a citizen of New York, who 

had long been engaged in the fur-trade, formed the bold design 

of planting a large trading station at the mouth of the Columbia, 

to connect with a line of trading posts along that river and the 

Missouri. 

This plan of Mr. Astor's met with creat favor from 
ISIO 

' President Jefferson, and, in 1810, the Pacific Fur Company 

What Territories have also been formed from the old Spanish Louisiana? — 
When was Florida ceded to the United States ?— When did it become a State ? 
— What exploration was made by Lewis and Clarke? — When did they reach 
the Pacific Ocean ? — How did they gain the favor of the Indians? — "When did 
Captain Gvi\y anchor in the Columbia River? — Who first explored a route 
across the Continent? — What station was planted by John Jacob Astor? — 
For what purpose was this station formod? — When was the Pacific Fur Com- 
pany organized? 



THE WEST. 211 

was organized. During this year two expeditions were sent out 
to Oregon — one by sea, in the Tonquin, around Cape Horn ; and 
the other across the Rocky Mountains. The Tonquin reached the 
mouth of the Columbia in 1811, and founded on its 
southern bank the little settlement which they named 
Astoria. Owing to adverse circumstances the splendid project 
of Mr. Astor for the occupancy of Oregon was never carried out. 
During the war of 1812, the British "North-Western Fur Com- 
pany" took possession of Astoria. 

Not to the fur-trader, nor to the agricultural colonist, but to 
the zealous missionary of the Cross, was this vast region to owe 
her first American colonization. Thirty years had passed by since 
Lewis and Clarke had penetrated the 

"Continuous woods 
Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound 
Save his own dashings j" 

and yet no permanent settlement had been founded there. At 
length, in October of the year 1834, a little band of Methodist 
Missionaries, ended, at Fort Yancouver, on the Columbia, their long 
and toilsome journey through the wilderness. Here they opened a 
school, and began their labor of love among the Indians and traders. 
A few years previous, two Oregon Indians had accompanied the 
trappers to St. Louis, and begged that teachers might be sent 
among them to give them " the true knowledge of the Great 
Spirit.'' It was in answer to this touching appeal that 
the Missionaries were sent out. In a few months they 
removed from Fort Vancouver to the beautiful valley of the 
Willamette. In the year 1838, a large and important Missionary 
expedition, consisting of mechanics, as well as teachers, proceeded 
to Oregon by way of the Sandwich Islands. They joined their 
brethren on the Willamette, and in the course of a very few years, 

What expeditions were sent to Oregon in 1810? — When, and where, was 
Astoria founded? — What is said of the failure of Mr. Astor s project? — What 
became of Astoria? — Who were the first American colonists of this region? 
— How long after Lewis and Clarke's exploration did Oregon remain unsettled? 
— What Missionary station was established there in 1&34 ? — What appeal led 
to the establishment of this mission ? — To what place waa the Mission removed ? 
— What Mission proceed«d to Oregon in 1838 ? 



212 THE WEST. 

several important Mission Stations had sprung up in this most 
fertile and beautiful valley of Oregon. 

For many years the claim of the United States to this territory 
was disputed by Great Britain. In June, 1846, however, a treaty 
was signed, by which our claim was allowed as far North as lati- 
tude 49°. Since that year the emigration to this region has rapidly 
increased. Towns and cities have been founded, and Oregon has 
furnished from its vast bounds the new Territory of Washington. 



By the Treaty with Mexico, in 1848, the United States gained 
a large tract of country on the Pacific, south of Oregon. This 
region has since been divided into the State of California and 
the Territories of New Mexico and Utah. It had all, at one 
time, belonged to Spain. As early as 1769, Spanish 
Catholic Missionaries had established Missions, or Pre- 
sidios, as they were called, in Upper California. The first of 
these was at San Diego. 

By the year 1800, there were sixteen of these Missions 
scattered through Upper California. The Indians were gathered 
into them, and the padres, or Roman Catholic priests taught them 
the arts of civilization. They cultivated the land and built 
spacious and handsome dwellings of adobe or sun-dried bricks. 

The Padres ruled their Indian convert*:!, but their power was 
mildly exercised, and for many years the Presidios were very 
happy communities. These Mission lands, which comprised, per- 
haps, eight millions of acres, declined after Mexico had 
thrown off the Spanish yoke. They then fell into pos- 
session of the Mexican government. The Padres were driven 
away, or their authority taken from them; the Indians 
fell into habits of sloth and idleness, and the Missions 

What nation disputed the claim of the United States to this Territory? — 
When, and how, was the difficulty settled? — What is said of the subsequent 
increase of the Territory? — What tract was gained from Mexico in 1848? 
— IIow has it been since divided? — To whom had this region formerly be- 
longed? — What Missions had been established in it? — Who were instructed 
in thcpo Missions? — What progress did the Indians make in civilization ?— 
Wliat is said of the rule of the Padres? — What became of thcpe mipsion Irnds? 



THE WEST. 213 

were gradually abandoned. In 1846, during the war with Mexico, 
the United States took possession of many of them. 

In the summer of 1848, after the treaty with Mexico had se- 
cured to the United States the country of California, news of gold 
discoveries there reached the Atlantic States. Mr. Sutter, a Swiss 
emigrant, had settled himself on the American fork of the Sacramento 
river. He named his settlement New Helvetia in, honor of his na- 
tive country. Helvetia being the ancient name of Switzerland. 

About fifty miles above the fort which Mr. Sutter had built, 

there grew a valuable species of pine tree which he wished to 

have cut down and sawed into lumber. He employed a man 

to build him a saw-mill: a dam and a race were also ^^^,?I 

1847 
made. The water rushing into the race with a strong 

current deposited a large bed of mud and gravel. 

One day Mr. Marshall (the builder of the saw-mill) observed 
glittering particles in this mass. Being sure that they were gold, 
he told Mr. Sutter of the discovery, and the two agreed to keep 
the secret. It was soon known, however, and before three months 
had gone by, four thousand men were at work in the 
vicinity, gathering gold valued from sixteen to forty- 
eight dollars a day. 

When the news of the gold discoveries reached the States, and 
there was no longer any doubt that California was the true El- 
Dorado, thousands flocked to her shores. The long, painful march 
across the plains, exposed to tribes of hostile Indians, amid 
deserts, and across the snows of the Sierra Nevada ; the deadly 
climate of the Darien Isthmus, and the perilous voyage around 
Cape Horn, all were eagerly undertaken in the search for gold. 
In 1849, between the months of April and January, nearly forty 
thousand emigrants arrived at the port of San Francisco. 

The gold diggings presented a curious scene of eager toil. 
Men used to all the comforts of home were found gathered there 
in rude huts or canvass tents, under a burning sun, washing for 

When were the gold discoveries in California made ? — What circumstances 
led to them ? — Kelate the particulars. — What effect had this upon emigration 
to California ? — What is said of the journey thither, and the motive which 
led to it ? — How many emigrants arrived at San Francisco in 1849 ? — What la 
«aid of the scenes at the gold diggings? 



214 THE WEST. 

gold. Some with tin-pans, others with the close woven Indian 
baskets, or a rude machine called a cradle j all eager for gain, and 
excited and lured on by the success of some of their number. 
From one locality, two men, in the course of one week, had ob- 
tained gold to the amount of 810,000. 

Still more singular was the scene which San Francisco pre- 
sented. This quiet, dull town, whose harbor had been rarely 
visited, save by the lonely fishing vessels or whalers of the Pacific, 
now became a port of nations. Through the Golden Gate, the 
portal to the beautiful harbor of San Francisco, "crowded the 
shipping of the world, mast behind mast, and vessel behind vessel, 
the flags of all nations fluttering in the breeze." 

The canvass tents, wooden houses, almost huts, of the new 
comers, soon gave place to three-story ware-houses, hotels, dwellings, 
market-houses, and theatres. Porters, carts, workmen, and new 
buildings gave an air of busy life to the scene. The city was 
soon thronged with people of all nations; even the grave China- 
man now walked its streets, and introduced into California the 
peculiar dress, dwellings, and customs of the Celestial Empire. 

Where gold was so abundant, the price of every article was 
extravagant. Seventy-five cents was charged for a boiled egg; 
eight dollars a dozen was paid for washing clothes ; and ten or 
twelve dollars for a pair of shoes. In some instances at the 
mines, one hundred dollars was charged for a barrel of flour. 

In the year 1850, California was admitted into the Union. 
San Francisco had become a city with a population of about twenty 
thousand. In 1853, it numbered perhaps sixty thousand inhabi- 
tants. Some twenty churches have been built, and thirteen daily 
newspapers published. 

Congress has appropriated half a million of acres for the forma- 
tion of a school-fund in California, and numerous public schools, 
as well as many academies, have been already established. 

Says Bayard Taylor : " Like the magic seed of the Indian 

How did San Francisco contrast with its former state? — With what iiind of a 
population was it thronged? — What was the effect of these things upon the 
prices of labor and food ? — To what extent has San Francisco increased ? — 
AVhat provision has been made for education in California? — Repeat the quo- 
tAtinn frnm "Ravard Tnvlor. 



VHE WEST. 215 

juggler, wliicli grew, blossomed, and bore fruit before the eyes of 
his spectators, San Francisco seemed to have accomplished in a 
day the growth of half a century.'' 



Of New Mexico and Utah, the other territories which have 
been secured to the United States by the late treaty with Mexico, 
we have but little of interest to relate. In New Mexico there are 
very few settlers from the United States. The inhabitants are 
nearly all Mexicans or descendants of the early Spanish settlers. 

In Utah, the Mormons, a new sect of religionists, have established 
themselves. They went thither in 1847, and now they number 
perhaps fifty thousand. The country occupied by them they call 
Deseret, which, with them, signifies " The Land of the Honey Bee." 

They have built a city on the banks of the river Jordan. They 
have so named the river because, like the Jordan of the Holy 
Land, it takes its rise in a fresh water lake, flows through a valley 
surrounded by mountains, and discharges its waters into a salt 
lake. Lake Utah, and the Great Salt Lake of Utah Territory, 
correspond in the character of their waters with the Sea of Galilee, 
and the Dead Sea of Palestine. 

What is said of New Mexico and Utah .'' — Where have the Mormons settled ? 
" — How many do they now number? — What do they call their country? — On 
what river have they built a city ? — Why do they thus name the river ? 



Review Questions. — How early were settlements made in the South- 
West Territory ? — Under what government were they ? — What State did this 
Territory afterwards become ? — What part has Tennessee taken in settling 
other States ? 

AVhen was Mississippi made a Territory ?— When did it become a State ? — 
What division of the country was made by the peace of 1763 ? — What region 
was called Louisiana at that time ? — When was it sold to the United States ? — 
What States and Territories have been formed from it ? 

What region was explored by Lewis and Clarke, and when? — What attempts 
were made to plant trading stations in Oregon ? — Give an account of the Missions 
to this Territory ? — When, and how, was the disputed claim to Oregon settled ? 

What Territory was gained from Mexico in 1848? — What is said of tho 
Catholic Missions in Upper California? — When were the gold x-egions dis- 
covered ? — What has been the effect of the discovery upon the condition of 
Califbrnia ? — Whac account is given of New Meidco and Utah ? 



CHAPTER XXI. 

PKOGRESS. 

- y-iiou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given 
thee." — Deuteronomy viii. 10. 

The Territory of the United States in the year 1785 waa 
about 800,000 square miles, and now it covers an area of little 
less than 3,000,000. 

The population numbered at the period of the Revolution only 
3,000,000, and now it is more than eight times that number. 

At the close of the War of Independence, New York, Phila- 
delphia, and Boston were not as populous as many cities now, in 
States which had not then a single white inhabitant. 

The western portions of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, 
were still a wilderness. The solitary hunter's cabin or frontier 
fort stood where now rise the spires of Utica, Bufialo, Syracuse, 
and Wheeling. 

Farther west, the hunter's rifle or the stroke of the pioneer's 
axe alone awoke the echoes of the forest. Now, fair towns and 
cities adorn the west, and new villages are almost daily springing 
up along the borders of the great rivers, and beautiful lakes, and 
the tracks of the numerous railways, which intersect the country. 

The love of religion was brought to America in the hearts and 
habits of its early settlers. This is especially true of New 
England. 

What was the area of the United States in 1785 ? — What is the present ex- 
tent? — What was the population at the close of the war, and what is its present 
number of inhabitants ? — What is said of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, 
at that time ? — What wa£ the condition of New York, Pennsylvania, and 
Virginia? — How were the localities of our large western towns then marked? 
— Describe the features of the extreme west then, and tell how the same 
country appears now ? — What feeling strongly pervaded the bosom of the early 
eettlers, and in which of the colonies was it pre-eminent? 



PROGRESS. 217 

That the feeling which built the Pilgrim meeting-house at 
Plymouth, and laid the corner-stone of the old church at James- 
town, has grown and strengthened by the lapse of time, is shown 
by the fact, that there are now more than 40,000 churches and 
30,000 ministers in our land. 

Nor has this spirit been shown in the building of churches only. 
Every one must feel the pervading influence of Christian charity 
in the minds of this people, who would visit the beautiful Ketreats 
for the Insane, the Homes for the Blind, the Deaf and Dumb, 
and the Orphan, in many of our cities ; or the Hospitals for the 
sick, the aged, and the infirm, or any of the many thousands of 
benevolent institutions which are found not only in the Atlantic 
States, but throughout the length and breadth of our land. 

The missionary spirit which glowed in early days in the hearts 
of Eliot, Brainerd, and the Mayhews, has year by year grown 
warmer and stronger. It has established societies, raised money, 
and planted Missions, not only in our own but in heathen lands. 
The Missionary annals of America enrol the names of many a 
Christian hero. And large sums of money are annually con- 
tributed for the support of Missions in various parts of the world. 
The first Missionary Society was established in 1810, and the 
American Bible Society was founded in 1816. The latter has 
distributed, since its institution, over seven and a half millions of 
Bibles and Testaments, in thirty-four different languages. Sun- 
day Schools were first established in 1816. Now, nearly every 
Church in our land has connected with it a Sabbath School, and 
the teachers may be numbered by thousands. 

The first printing-press established in the country, was set up 
at Cambridge, in 1638, and published " The Freeman's CalF' and 
an Almanac. In 1700, there were four printing-presses in the 

How have their descendants exhibited the same love for the religion of their 
fathers. — By what other means have the people evinced a spirit of Christian 
benevolence ? — Name some of the early missionaries to, and in our country, 
and tell what effect their example has had on those who have followed them. 
—When was the first Missionary Society of the United States established ? — 
What can you say of the American Bible Society ?— When, and where, was 
the first printing-press established, and what was the name of the first paper 
printed ? 



218 PROGRESS. 

colonies. At the opening of the next century, we find three 
hundred. They are now so multiplied that the census gives no 
account of them. 

Whereas the most rapid presses in the time of Franklin could 
print but 250 impressions in an hour, now one press in Philadelphia 
throws oflf about 20,000 printed sheets in the same time. 

The first newspaper appeared in Boston, in 1704 ; in Philadel- 
phia, in 1719 ; and in New York, in 1733. In 1775, there were 
thirty-five newspapers in the colonies ; they were printed on little 
coarse sheets of paper. Even those issued as late as the year 
1800 would be regarded as curiosities' among the 500,000,000 of 
large, fine newspaper sheets which now issue yearly from the 
press of the United States. 

The first Post-Ofl5ce was established in New York, in 1710, and 
now the number exceeds 25,000. 

In the early days of the colonies there were but few books 
printed. A few sermons, poems, and histories remain, however, 
as specimens of the early literature of our country. 

Among the most curious are Cotton Mather's '' Magnalia Christi 
Americana,^' an ecclesiastical history, in one large folio volume; 
"A Looking-Glass for the times,'' published by Dr. Franklin's 
grandfather ; and Johnson's '^ Wonder-Working Providence of 
Zion's Saviour in New England." 

Towards the close of the eighteenth century, many valuable 
books appeared. Among them were the works of President Ed- 
wards, Dr. Franklin, Dr. Dwight, and the political writings of 
Adams, Jefi"erson, Hamilton, Madison, and other distinguished 
statesmen. 

During the present century, distinguished authors have appeared 
in almost every department of literature and science, and their 
works are not only read and admired throughout their own country, 
but are translated into many foreign tongues. 

What can you say of the improvements in the art of printing since the time 
of Franklin. — When, and where, was the first newspaper published ? — How 
would a newspaper issued in 1800 compare with those of our day ? — Where 
•was the first Post-OSice established ? — What books, published then, are extant 
ow ? — When did more valuable works appear ? — Name some of them. — What 
B said of the American authors in this century ? 



PROGRESS. 219 

We have seen how our ancestors of New England and the 
Middle States planted schools, and cherished with pride and self- 
denial the infant colleges of the colonies. 

The love of knowledge which has been such a marked peculiarity 
of American character, has raised since the Revolution nearly 
90,000 institutions of learning, of which over 80,000 are public 
schools. 

In all the new States and Territories, large grants of land have 
been made by Congress for the support of common schools. 
These common schools, particularly in the large cities furnish in- 
struction in many of the higher branches of learning. The 
Philadelphia High School, New York Free Academy, Boston 
Latin School, the High Schools of Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. 
Louis, and other cities, are examples of this. 

In the south, where the population is scattered, public schools 
are less numerous, yet many excellent private institutions exist, 
where the children of the planters may obtain a good education. 

There are now in the United States 118 Colleges, 17 Law 
Schools, and 36 Medical Schools. The fii'st Medical School was 
founded in Philadelphia, as early as 1765. 

In the early colonial times, most of the ministers of religion 
were sent from England. By degrees they were educated in this 
country, and in the year 1807, Andover, perhaps the first distinct 
Theological School in the world, was founded. Now, there are 
more than forty Theological Schools in the United States 

In the Fine Arts, America began in the last century with the 
genius of West, Stuart, Copley, and Trumbull, of which she 
may justly be proud. 

Although these arts received originally but little encouragement, 

How did our ancestors regard schools and colleges ? — How have they 
exhibited this regard? — What particular evidence is given of attention to 
Public School instruction ? — What High Schools are mentioned ? — What is said 
of the instruction given in them ? — What is said of education at the South ?— 
Mention the number of Colleges, Law, and Medical Schools, existing in the 
United States. — How was this country first supplied with ministers ? — When 
was Andover founded, and what is said of it ? — Name some distinguished 
American painters, and tell the century in which they lived ? 



220 PROGRESS. 

a new impulse has been given, and these painters, with the 
added names of Allston, Sully, Peale, and the sculptors Powers 
and Greenhough, give evidence of the native talent which our 
country possesses. 

In scientific inventions and discoveries, so many of a most useful 
and practical character have come from the United States, that 
American ingenuity has become proverbial. 

In the middle of the last century. Dr. Franklin, experimenting 
with his kite on the open fields near the spot where now stands 
the Institution for the Blind, in Philadelphia, discovered some 
of the wonders of electricity, and invented the lightning-rod. 

Nearly a century later. Professor Morse, of New York, dis- 
closed still further the wondrous powers of this mysterious agent, 
in the discovery of the magnetic telegraph. The first telegraphic 
line of wires over which the magic message was conveyed, were 
stretched between Washington and Baltimore, in June, 
1844; and now, in the United States alone, there are more ^^^' 
than forty thousand miles of telegraph wire, over which 
intelligence is borne with the rapidity of thought. 

The word uttered by the statesman is heard, not only by the 
comparative few who gather in the Capitol, but while he is yet 
speaking, the busy mysterious wire is bearing it beyond the Alle- 
ghanies, and the Mississippi, and the Great Lakes; and the mes- 
sage comes almost simultaneously to St. Louis and New Orleans. 

A telegraph between America and Europe has been projected, 
by a submarine line of telegraph wires, stretching from Newfound- 
land to Ireland. That part from the American continent to New- 
foundland is already in progress. 

The first rail-road of any considerable length in the United 
States, was laid in 1831, between Camden and Amboy, in New 

In the early history of our country, did the fine arts receive merited en- 
couragement ? — Who, in later days, have shown that there is talent only 
needing development? — What is said of scientific inventions and discoveries? 
— Tell what you know of Dr. Franklin. — Who discovered the magnetic tele- 
graph ? — Between what cities was the first message passed ? — How many 
miles are now embraced within the influence of the wire* ? — Describe the as- 
tonishing effect of this invention ? — What can you say of the submarine tele- 
graph ? — When was the first rail-road laid ? 



PROGRESS. 



221 



Jersey, a distance of sixty-four miles. In South Carolina, in 
1833, a rail-road of one hundred and thirty-six miles was laid 
between Charleston and Hamburg. This South Carolina rail-road, 
at the time of its construction, was the longest in the world. The 
first steam-engine locomotive was built in Philadelphia, in the fall 
of 1832. Now, there are twenty thousand miles of rail-road in 
the United States, and twelve thousand in process of construction. 

In 1824, De Witt Clinton dug the first spade-full of earth 
thrown out of the grand Erie Canal. At the present day, about 
four thousand miles of canal bear the mineral and agricultural 
wealth of inland districts to the seaport towns. 

In the autumn of 1807, the inhabitants of Albany read in the 
"Albany Gazette," the following remarkable advertisement: "The 
North river steamboat will leave Paulus Hook on Friday, the 
fourth of September, at nine o'clock in the morning, and arrive 
at Albany on Saturday, at nine in the evening." The fare seven 

dollars. ' 

And the little steamer Clermont did reach Albany in thirty-six 
hours, to the unbounded astonishment and admiration of the 
wondering people on the banks of the Hudson. What a change ! 
Not yet fifty years have passed. Our thousands of steamers are 
floating palaces, and the humblest ferry-boat far surpasses the 
wonderful invention of Eobert Fulton. 

The first passage by steam to Europe, was probably made in 
1819, by the steamship Savannah, from New York to Liverpool. 

Very beautiful aqueducts and suspension-bridges, water-works, 
and gas-works, have been erected, adding to the elegance of our 
country, as well as contributing to the comfort of the inhabitants. 

In mechanic arts, some idea of the inventive genius of the 
United States may b e gathered from the immense number of 

What number of miles are now included in its limits ? — When, where, and 
hy whom, were canals commenced, and what has been their progress ? — In 
what year did the first steamboat ascend the North river ? — What change has 
fifty years produced in this mode of travelling ? - To whom are we indebted 
for this invention ? - In what year was the Atlantic first crossed by steam- 
boats, and between what cities did the vessel sail? -What works of internal 
improvement now mark the face of our country ? — Give the number of 
patents that have been issued this year alone ? 

19* 



222 PROGRESS. 

patents for new constructions which have been issued from the 
Patent Office-during the past year alone. 

The cotton-gin, a machine for separating the seed from the 
cotton, was invented by Eli Whitney, while at Savannah, in 1792. 
This invention has greatly increased the value of southern cotton, 
and rendered the name of its author famous in the annals of 
useful inventions. 

Rhode Island led the way in the manufacture of cotton. The 
first cotton-mills were erected at Pawtucket, in 1790, and now the 
entire annual value of the cotton manufactures in the United 
States, is not less, probably, than seventy millions of dollars. 
The first cotton exported was to England, in the year 1785, and 
now the exports of one year alone amount to one hundred 
millions of dollars. 

Industry marks the character of the population of the United 
States, although varying greatly in character with the difierent 
sections of the Union. 

In the Gulf States, we find the sugar-planter raising the sugar- 
cane, and preparing it for market, in mills erected on his own 
estate. In Greorgia and the Carolinas, the large slave population 
is employed in the cotton-plantations, picking by hand the beau- 
tiful light cotton, as it bursts from the pod, separating the seed 
with the cotton-gin, and packing it in bales for market. 

On the sea-shore, we should find the rice-plantations, and in 
other sections, the tar-burners and lumberers. In Virginia, we 
should find large tobacco estates, and corn-plantations, employing 
the industry of the Old Dominion ; whilst in the western portions of 
the State, iron furnaces and extensive salt-works are to be found. 

By whom was the cotton-gin invented ? — Give the design of that machine. 
— In what year, and where, was it first used, and what has been ite influence 
on the value of southern cotton? — Where, and Avhen, were tht first cotton- 
mills erected? — In what year did we first export cotton? — What is a leading 
characteristic of the people of the United States, and how does this vary ? — How 
are the inhabitants on the Gulf employed ? — How are those in Georgia and 
the Carolinas striving for wealth? — What business prevails on the coast of 
those States, and what is the employment of those in the interior? — From 
what sources does Virginia derive its wealth, and how do these vary in the 
more western parts of the State ? 



PROGRESS. 223 

Passing into the Middle States, new scenes of industry attract 
our interest. There, the busy hum of the factory, the noise of 
the steam-engine, the whirr of machinery, and the loud clatter of 
the foundry and the rolling-mill, tell the tale of labor. The 
mineral wealth of these States employs the labor of large masses 
of the population. 

The anthracite coal trade of Pennsylvania, which, in 1820, 
amounted to only three hundred and sixty-five tons, has already 
swelled to more than six millions of tons, of an annual value of 
thirty millions of dollars. 

New England, with her numerous manufactures, may almost 
be called the land of the loom, and yet she has various and num- 
berless other resources for the industry of her thrifty people. 

Forty thousand of her population are employed in her fisheries. 
Her ship-yards afford employment to a considerable number. In 
New Hampshire and Vermont, a large population is engaged in 
rearing cattle, and horses, and sheep; whilst in Maine, ship-build- 
ing, lumbering, and packing ice for exportation, employ many 
hands. 

In New England, as throughout every portion of our country, 
the toil of the farmer has scattered its beautiful and valuable re- 
sults. Agriculture employs nearly three millions of the population 
of the United States. 

Following the course of the Great Lakes, we should visit the 
copper-mines of Lake Superior, and descend into the rich mining 
districts of Wisconsin, Missouri, and Illinois. Here are found rich 
beds of copper, iron, and lead ore. 

Or further south, crossing the Alleghanies, and traversing the 
valley of the Mississippi, where lie the beautiful States and terri- 
tories of the west, we should find still other scenes of industry. 

Give the various occupations of the Middle States, and tell how many of 
the inhabitants find employment? — What mineral increases the wealth of 
Pennsylvania? — Give its annual value. — "Why may New England be called 
the "land of the loom?" — Does her wealth consist entirely of manufactories? 
-In what other ways are her people employed? — Give the various occupa- 
tions of each of the New England States. — What amount of land is under 
cultivation in New England ? — Describe the mineral resources of the country 
jiround the Great Lakes. — As we travel westward, how do we find the inhabi- 
tants employed ? 



224 PROGRESS. 

There are the corn and wheat farms of the prairie, surrounded 
by hedges of osage orange, rivalling in beauty the far-famed haw- 
thorn hedges of England. There, too, are the hemp-fields of 
Kentucky and Missouri, and the vineyards of the Ohio, cultivated 
by native and German vine-dressers. 

Such is the beautiful country which God has given us for our 
heritage. But whilst we repeat the grateful words of Israel's 
king, " He hath not dealt so with any nation,'^ let us remember 
too, that only blessed is the people whose God is the Lord ; and 
that His Word hath told us, that it is "righteousness that exalteth 
a nation." 

In which of the States is Hemp cultivated, and where do we find vineyards ? 
— What efforts are made in the west for education, and how have the people 
shown their appreciation of learning ? — Against what diflSculties have they 
been obliged to strive ? — What is said of Cincinnati ? — What should we be 
led to say in considering our advantages ? 



Review Questions. — How will the area, population, and resources of the 
United States, compare now with those at the close of the Revolutionary 
War ? — What spirit, in reference to Christianity and benevolent institutions, 
pervades the country ? 

How have the people shown a love of knowledge, and what results have 
followed ? 

What is a leading trait of American character, and how is this exhibited ? 

Give the various sources of wealth and industry in the different parts of the 
Union ? 



THE END. 



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